Second Alliance
by ImaniJoain
Summary: A new threat has breached the peace left in the wake of Naraku's defeat. This time, it will be Sesshomaru who must propose an alliance to defeat an enemy he has no experience with, a death that claims humans and demons alike. Only his half-brother's strange miko truly understands the danger, and she is the key to conquering it.
1. Chapter 1

"How was your trip, Kaede-sama?" Miroku asked from his spot against the wall of the hut. Kaede had been gone for several days at the request of another village that had no healer. Kagome hurried to relieve the elder priestess of her basket of supplies. She noted with worry that Kaede looked tired. Her single eye was sunken and her mouth pinched at the corners.

"Ashai village has also shown signs of the new illness," Kaede replied without inflection.

"That makes three villages in two weeks." Sango sat back from the soup she was stirring and shared a glance with Miroku. "It is moving south."

"If it continues at this rate, it will reach Edo in another week or so," the monk noted thoughtfully.

"Did any of the new medicines we made help, Kaede-sensei?" Kagome asked hopefully. She began unloading the basket, putting away herbs and ointments. Kaede settled herself with a sigh and the creak of old bones, gratefully accepting the bowl of soup Sango offered. She took a few sips without speaking, and Kagome's worry increased. Since Naraku had been defeated and the jewel made whole, she had begun serious training under Kaede as a healer and priestess. She was able to use the well only on the new moon, and so trips home were regular but far-between. She had finished high school, barely, and begun a distance course in nursing. Studying in the feudal era was surprisingly easy, even with her additional lessons from Kaede, since she was no longer constantly travelling and under attack from youkai. She had even found time to try several new remedies for the strange illness that had been reported in other villages.

"The meadowsweet tincture you have been working on seems to reduce their discomfort." Kaede met Kagome's eyes with a serious expression and the younger woman felt her hope sinking. "Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that the sick can fight off the illness on their own. Without something to attack the underlying disease, I fear there is not much we can do but wait."

"But there are so many…" Kagome trailed off and swallowed. In the villages that had reported the new illness, one in every two people got sick. Of those, so far, one in three died. She knew there might be another treatment in the future that could help, but she was torn over going to find it. She would have to see the victims herself to be able to research the disease effectively, and that would run the risk of catching the illness and potentially transmitting it to the future. Even if she managed to find out what was causing the outbreak and discover a cure, there was no way of knowing if she could obtain or manufacture enough to be of any use. She had discussed the problem of time travel with Miroku many times, and they had both agreed that she could use her future knowledge with relative freedom. She had been doing so for more than three years without any serious repercussions, but the fewer things she brought back from the future and used on the general population the better. Even her modern medicines she had not administered outside of the group. Instead, she did her best to replicate them with natural substances that could be found in the feudal period. Ground and distilled meadowsweet had made an acceptable substitute for aspirin. "I'll try to learn more when I go back tomorrow, Kaede-sensei. Do you think you could help Shippo draw a picture of the rash you saw?"

Kaede nodded, and Kagome waved off Sango's offer of supper in favor of going outside to find Shippo. The kit had been doing some training of his own, with, surprisingly, Inuyasha. Since Naraku's death and Kikyou's second, and hopefully final, funeral, Inuyasha had lost some of his anger. He still acted like an idiot a lot of the time, but when Kagome calmly requested that he teach Shippo the basics of hunting and tracking he had agreed. In exchange, he would receive no more than one 'sit' per day - unless it would save someone from mortal danger. The two were sitting on the edge of the forest, talking quietly about scents and wind direction when she approached.

"Kagome!" The kit jumped up and grinned.

"Did you learn lots today, Shippo?" She couldn't help but smile at his bubbly excitement, despite the serious situation worrying her.

"Inuyasha-nichan showed me how to use the wind to disguise my location!"

"Stop callin' me that, ya stupid!" Shippo barely managed to dodge a blow from the hanyou's fist. Kagome had to put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile; Inuyasha did not appreciate being called big brother. The lessons had started out rocky, but Inuyasha had gradually grown to tolerate teaching Shippo all of the things he had been forced to learn by trial and error. He would never admit it, but Kagome suspected that he took pride in the young demon's successes. In turn, Shippo had stopped playing quite as many tricks on Inuyasha, and didn't tattle to Kagome as often either. He had found a new method of teasing his new sensei.

"Stop calling you what, Inuyasha-nichan?" He smiled in mock innocence and Kagome interrupted Inuyasha's growl before they could break into a real argument.

"Shippo, supper is ready." She snagged his collar before he could run back to the hut. "After you eat, please help Kaede with a drawing I need. It has to be done before I visit my mother tonight." The kit nodded and took off as soon as she let go. Kagome sighed and sat down next to Inuyasha.

"The medicine didn't work, eh?"

"How did you-" Inuyasha pointed to one furry ear and Kagome smiled sadly. "I suppose Shippo heard too?"

"Kit's ears ain't as good as mine, and he was kinda busy." He paused and stared into the village. Kagome enjoyed the comfortable silence. She had stopped trying to start a romantic relationship with Inuyasha shortly before Naraku was destroyed. Sometime after Kikyou's funeral, her heart had stopped pining as well. She loved him, she really did. And she knew he loved her, but Inuyasha was still feeling the grief of his loss. Even once his heart had healed, Kagome doubted he would ever be able to feel _that way_ about her. She reminded him too much of his first love. They were friends, best friends. And that was enough - more than most people, especially hanyous, had.

"When we go back, I'm going to see what I can find out about this disease. With Shippo's drawing and Kaede's description, hopefully I can figure out what it is and what we can do to slow it down."

"And if ya can't?"

Kagome shivered in the slanting sunlight. Night was approaching faster as summer had faded and autumn was fully entrenched in the village. Inuyasha had seen more death and destruction than anyone else she knew - except maybe his brother, although she suspected most of that was Sesshomaru's own doing. Her friend had lived through the desperate, horrifying, famine-ridden Warring States Period, but she knew there was no way he could imagine the kind of world-wide destructive force of some diseases. She wasn't sure she could explain to anyone in the feudal era the magnitude of thousands of deaths from yellow fever, hundreds of thousands of deaths by influenza, or millions of deaths from bubonic plague.

"We will quarantine Edo. It will make for a long winter, but the crops will be harvested in the next few weeks, and then we can wait for the cold weather to stop the traffic between villages. Once the disease has no way to spread, it will die out in those places it has already infected. I did tell Kaede to advise the villages to burn the clothes and futons of the infected along with the bodies - just in case."

"They won't all listen."

"It is the best I can do, for now." Kagome sighed, then straightened her shoulders. She would do her absolute best to keep her friends safe, and to prevent the suffering of others. "I'll come up with something, Inuyasha."

"Keh. _We'll_ figure it out…" He nudged Kagome with his shoulder and she smiled.

ooo

"It's okay, Sesshomaru-sama. Rin will-" A hacking cough interrupted the little girl and Sesshomaru found himself frowning. He quickly wiped the expression off of his face. His ward used a scrap of cloth to clean the pink mucus from her nose and mouth. "Rin will be better soon," she assured him in a raspy voice. "Jaken is bringing tea for Rin, and then she will feel good again."

"Quiet, Rin." She ceased her rambling immediately and relaxed into the generous blankets of the futon. He noted that her skin was much paler than usual. He placed his palm on her forehead. She was very hot for a human, but she still shivered and struggled to pull the covers further over her narrow shoulders. Her eyes slid closed, and his frown returned. It was not strange for Rin to contract an illness. In the nearly four years he had travelled with her, she often had runny noses and sore throats. She was always better within a week or so, less if they were at the castle and she received adequate rest and warm food and drink.

This disease had been different. It had not been contracted while walking the lands in cold weather or by associating with human villagers who did not bathe as they should. No. This illness had begun among the _demons_ at the castle. Rin seemed to get worse once she began to show symptoms and she progressed faster than any of the demons had. The sixth night of her illness was well underway. His frown deepened. Illness among youkai was not unheard of, but it was very rare. However, he had never seen a disease that affected both demons and humans. Even more troubling, it did not appear to be something that his healers could successfully treat. He sent close-mouthed messengers to the east and south, searching for medical scrolls or information of a similar illness. To the north he had sent nothing. He did not trust even his most secretive vassals under the suspicious eyes of the North. No weakness could be perceived by his enemies - not that the West had anything to fear from any of the other three lords of Japan. His thoughts were interrupted by the sliding of the shoji screen.

"My Lord," Jaken bowed and scraped in his usual obsequious manner. Sesshomaru cleared his face of all expression, settling the cold mask over his features that inspired fear in his allies and enemies alike. The toad knelt on the floor, bowing low to touch his head to the wooden boards. "I regret to inform you that the kitchen maid has died." Sesshomaru considered this news carefully. The illness that had struck his servants and some of the inhabitants of the nearby youkai village was puzzling and worthy of attention in its singularity. However, record of demon deaths from disease was almost unheard of. The matter elevated with the news of a single mortality to have his utmost attention. Treatment and cure would be his first priority, above even concealing this news from his allies in the east and south. It had not yet escalated to the point where he needed to consider extreme measures, such as requesting assistance. He would resolve the situation before such a distasteful thing occurred.

"Jaken," he intoned, "you will-" He was interrupted by a sharp, bitter smell, immediately followed by retching. Rin had barely managed to hang her head over the edge of the futon before she emptied the contents of her stomach. She hadn't eaten much recently, so the result was mostly bile. Sesshomaru flicked his eyes to the toad, who quickly stood and held back the girl's hair. He squawked and accused her of making a mess, but his little claws were gentle as he patted her mouth dry and helped her to lie down.

"Sorry, Jaken. Sesshomaru-sama," she mumbled. He leaned down to press his hand against her hair, knowing the small gesture would comfort her greatly.

"Jaken, you will stay with Rin while this Sesshomaru-" He hesitated, staring at his young ward.

"My Lord?" Jaken squawked. Sesshomaru ignored his inquiry, staring at Rin's pale face and open mouth. His keen eyesight found something which accomplished a feat that no enemy had ever managed - a tingle of fear slid down his spine. The tongue and inner cheeks of the little girl were covered in raised, dark red bumps, dotted with white in the center. The same rash had covered the dead kitchen maid from head to toe.

ooo

Shippo felt like his stomach was trying to climb its way out of his mouth. His knees shook and his heart was beating fast. He knew that the daiyoukai could smell his fear, but he had to ignore it. Sesshomaru was the most powerful youkai Shippo had ever met, maybe even the most powerful in Japan. The fur draped around him, larger even than when he had travelled with their group, indicated his wealth and status. For demons, it was also a display of his strength. The villagers had stopped their work and stood in shocked, frightened silence, when Sesshomaru had appeared in the center of the village. An orb of light had streaked across the sky. The subsonic echo of impact was followed by a swirling wave of youki that scattered the other children and forced Shippo to the ground. He stood as soon as he realized what was happening. Instinct told him that cowering before a predator like Sesshomaru would be deadly.

"Sesshomaru-sama," he managed without squeaking. He tilted his head to the side out of respect. Miroku skidded to a stop at the edge of the path, panting from his run. Sango had felt the youkai presence as well. She turned quietly from her place by Kaede's hut where she had been giving instructions to the villagers on building a wall to quarantine the village. She didn't have Hiraikotsu with her, and Shippo gulped. Sesshomaru had been their ally against Naraku; hopefully he wasn't ready to end that alliance.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Miroku said quietly. He bowed deeply out of respect and addressed the powerful demon. "To what do we owe the great honor of-"

"Bring me the priestess." Sesshomaru interrupted Miroku and Shippo felt fear pinch his throat. The daiyoukai had gained a distant respect for the future girl while they travelled together. He even seemed to listen to her suggestions, although he didn't acknowledge them. _He wouldn't hurt her, my human mama; there is no reason for him to hurt Kagome-okasan._

"Kaede-sama is not in the village at the moment. Perhaps I can-"

"The _miko_, Monk." His voice left no room for objection. They all knew who he was referring to, and if Miroku continued to avoid the subject, Sesshomaru would not be pleased.

"Kagome isn't here either, Sesshomaru-sama," Shippo blurted. Golden eyes focused on him and the pinch of fear grew into a claw that threatened to choke him completely. "She - she went with Inuyasha to visit her home." A protective feeling pushed against the terror that the inuyoukai inspired and words tumbled out of the kit's mouth before he could pull them back. "You can't hurt her!" He clapped both hands over his lips and stared at the daiyoukai with wide eyes. _I am so dead._ Sesshomaru stood in silence for a moment, before finally taking a deep breath through his nose. A shadow of distaste crossed his features, and then he streaked down the well-worn path to the well, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

Shippo was quick to follow him, and Sango and Miroku were not far behind. The demon perched on the edge of the well, staring into the dry depths. The others hesitated, but Shippo stepped forward, careful not to step on the yellow bag and empty pot stacked against the old wood. "She'll be back tonight."

"What magic is this?" Sesshomaru did not look at them, and the question went unanswered. Shippo glanced at Sango and Miroku, who seemed to be trying to decide if they should reveal Kagome's secret. "Kit." His deep order tingled Shippo's spine with a youki command. Shippo wanted to tell him, he had to tell him. _Secret, secret! Kagome's secret!_ He felt the knowledge trying to force its way out under the heavy weight of Sesshomaru's power. A low growl pushed against the kitsune's will, instinct driving him to give in, to obey the command of one far more powerful than him.

"If I tell, you can't hurt Kagome!" As though the daiyoukai had been taken by surprise, his power hesitated, and Shippo could take a deep breath without feeling compelled to bend to Sesshomaru's will. "Or the well," he continued in a more even voice. "Or us," he gestured to himself, Sango and Miroku. "Or Kaede...or Inuyasha," he added as an afterthought. There was a long, pregnant pause.

"This Sesshomaru has no desire to waste time on such insignificant lives."

Shippo decided that was as good as a promise as he was going to get. Before Miroku could interfere or Sesshomaru could reassert his dominance, he gave in. "The well transports Kagome to her home. It is the only way to get there, and only she and Inuyasha can use it." _No need for him to know _when_ Kagome is from._ "They left last night and they'll be back before nightfall."

"This Sesshomaru has need of the miko now." Shippo decided it was telling that Inuyasha's scary older brother didn't even blink at the news that Kagome needed to use a magical portal to get home - or that it was disguised as an old well.

"Unfortunately, we have no way of retrieving Kagome sooner, Sesshomaru-sama. She will return when she returns." Miroku paused, and Shippo felt a spark of admiration for the monk who did not flinch under the cold gaze of the tall demon. "Perhaps we may be of assistance in her absence? Or we may pass along a message for you when she returns, if you do not wish to wait."

"She will not return sooner."

Sesshomaru's monotone made it difficult to tell if it was a question or a statement, but Miroku smoothly answered, "That would be most unusual." Before the monk could make his offer of help again, a turbulent swirl of youki exploded and Sesshomaru disappeared in a ball of light. Shippo was the first to turn back to the well, peering over the side in the hope that Kagome had decided to come back early. Only the cool darkness stared back at him.

"What do you think he wants with Kagome-chan?" Sango asked worriedly.

"It is difficult to say. However, I believe we should make every attempt to alert Kagome and Inuyasha to Sesshomaru's intent to seek her out - prior to the return of the Western Lord."

"Especially Inubaka," Shippo muttered to himself. As much as he had enjoyed the past year with the calmer, more brotherly hanyou, he didn't think that attitude would last long in the daiyoukai's presence. Once their fight started, it wouldn't end until Sesshomaru had something better to do or Inuyasha was too exhausted or injured to continue. _Worse than kids, _Shippo groused. The two adults continued with their own conversation.

"I really think someone should stay here, but the villagers need help with the new wall if they are going to get it started correctly."

"I agree Sango, my dear, they need your expertise. I have not yet finished preparing the letters to the nearby shrines to notify them of the illness. If I hurry, I may be able to return to the well before nightfall, but if they should return sooner-"

"I'll stay," Shippo volunteered. "Since Sesshomaru has been here, the mothers will all want to keep their kids close anyhow, so I won't have anyone to play with. I'll wait for Kagome."

"Very good, Shippo," Sango smiled. "I'm sure Kagome would rather see you first."

"Certainly, you may be the best watch we could set," Miroku mused. Shippo was suspicious of the gleam in the monk's eyes. "And if Sesshomaru returns before Kagome, he is far less likely to murder Rin's one-time playmate than one of us. Come, Sango." The two left with only a wave over their shoulders and Shippo slumped against the well. _ Hurry back Kagome!_

ooo

"No way! I'll take these clothes back with me!"

"Be reasonable, Inuyasha," Kagome tried again. "If you take those clothes back, they'll have to stay in the feudal era. There is no sense in Mama having to buy you more clothes here, and they shouldn't stay in that time anyway. It is a waste!"

"I did everything you asked this time, I even wore those stupid Rubs-"

"Scrubs," Kagome corrected.

"Whatever. I wore those weird things to steal the medicine you needed, but I ain't jumpin' back naked, and that's final!" Inuyasha turned his back on her and Kagome stared at the cobwebbed ceiling of the well house and counted to ten. _Don't sit him. Don't sit him. _

"Inuyasha," she began, then took a deep breath. "Inuyasha, I know that all this stuff about disease and bacteria is a lot for you to understand all at once, if you need me to-"

"You think I'm stupid?" He glared at her, the smallest gleam of hurt in his eyes. "I get it. 'Cause Kaede was near the sick humans and then we were near her, the sickness might have got on our clothes. That's why you made us leave our old stuff there and why you told me to pour that fuckin' hot water over my head." _Told him to-_ Kagome's eyes widened in fear. She had made Inuyasha turn his back while she stripped and scrubbed with hot water before she jumped in the well. She told him to count to five hundred before he jumped in. As soon as she had arrived in the future, she had run through the darkness to the laundry line and wrapped up in the first thing she grabbed - which happened to be a sheet. She tossed one of her grandpa's robes in the well house for Inuyasha, and when he came out, he _looked_ wet. But in the darkness and with his hair black because of his human time...

"You did it, didn't you, Inuyasha? Please, please! This is so important-"

"Feh, 'course I did. Keh. If anybody took my fire rat while we were gone, wench-"

"Okay, okay." Kagome waved him off, suddenly sagging in relief. She had taken the extra precaution before leaving the feudal era just in case whatever flu strain or illness the villagers had was still dangerous in the future. After she had completed her research that morning...she shuddered, unwilling to even think about what could have happened.

"I still don't see why you can take your clothes back but I-"

"I always wear future clothes in the feudal era, Inuyasha. Everything I have left there will stay there from now on, including these," she pulled at her old tank top and button up shirt. "That's why I am wearing my oldest clothes. Mama paid a lot of money for what you have on so you would have something to wear while - argh!" She threw up her hands in the air, completely frustrated. "We don't have time to stand here arguing about this, Inuyasha! If you don't care if Miroku and Sango see you in your future clothes, I will explain to Mama. Just get going!" She pointed at the well, knowing she was yelling loud enough that anyone at the shrine could hear her but unable to stop herself. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, and Kagome prepared to have to 'sit' him to get past him and jump down the well. His lids lowered, and he looked down at his own clothes. Dark jeans, which he always complained were too tight but which Kagome and her mother agreed were perfect for him, were topped by a red t-shirt that outlined his muscles more that was intended after an accident with the dryer. A blush rose on his cheeks.

"Fine!" He barked out. "Turn around and count."

If she hadn't been so preoccupied with what she knew about the feudal illness and the supplies she had packed in her new bag, she would have smiled at his capitulation. Instead, she turned to face the closed wellhouse door and began a quiet count. "One. Two. Three. Four." At twenty-five a blue light flashed behind her. Kagome got to almost two hundred before she lost the battle with her anxiety.

"It isn't like I haven't seen him naked before. He'll get over it," she mumbled to herself. She dropped down the well, eager for the surge of power that would carry her to the people who needed her help more desperately than they could ever know.

ooo

Sesshomaru stared at the little kit, his face impassive. Despite his warning and Jaken's near constant threats, the kitsune appeared to be edging closer to the God tree. Rin lay between the roots on a thick blanket, quiet and still except for the occasional racking cough, wrapped in furs and his own mokomoko. When he realized that the miko was not in the village, and accepted that he had no way to retrieve her but must _wait_ - and that galled him nearly as much as it angered him - he had returned to the castle to risk moving Rin closer to the miko. He flew back to Edo on his cloud, carrying his ward while Jaken followed on Ah-Un. Rin needed treatment immediately. _If the miko does not return by nightfall, I will…_ Sesshomaru forcibly relaxed his claws and turned his mind from thoughts of ripping the well apart to fetch the strangely powerful priestess who followed his imbecilic half-brother. She would return, and Rin was close enough that the miko could begin treatment immediately.

However...he sent out a low pulse of youki in warning. The fox demon ceased his cautious movements forward. The disease could be spread by proximity, that much was obvious. It would not do to have the kit pick up the disease and carry it to Edo and other human villages. Technically, Inuyasha's forest and the nearby village were in the East, but they bordered his lands, and as Inuyasha was part of his - Sesshomaru let out a long breath and reordered his thoughts. Rin would also be less happy if her playmate were ill once she was well again. He noted the darkening sky and turned his eyes to the old well. Behind him, Rin's breath was difficult. His sensitive ears could not help but pick out the slow beats of her heart as she slept. The thick, watery sound of air in her lungs. His nose had to search for her light, green scent - only recently tinged with a deeper floral note - under the thick, sanguine smell of her illness. A bitter, metallic taste was in the air around her. The knowledge that neither the Meidō nor Tenseiga would be able to return her to this plane if she died again was a constant, irritating pressure against his mind. He refused to dwell on such things and instead began devising ways to distract the hanyou while the miko healed Rin. He had decided he would vent his considerable frustration on his half-brother's skull, and then his senses demanded his attention.

Power. Pure, unadulterated power with no taint of good or evil exploded into being in the clearing around the well. A blue light flashed briefly, and then all traces of magic disappeared. Sesshomaru, had he been a lesser youkai, would have been stunned speechless. As he was a daiyoukai without compare, he considered the circumstances in stoic silence. He had not detected any deceit from the humans or the kit when they told him of the portal, but the amount of power the well displayed was far beyond what he had expected. He would reflect on the nature of this artifact used by the miko another time, when he was not distracted by the scent of angry inuhanyou. Angry..._embarrassed_ inuhanyou? In a blur of movement that was incomprehensible to any eyes other than his, Inuyasha leapt from the well and crouched behind it, next to a yellow bag. The half-demon was quite naked.

"Jeez! What happened to your clothes, Inuyasha?" The kit's tail twitched in discomfort and anxiety. "Kagome sit you straight out of them, or what?"

"Shut up," Inuyasha growled. "Just...don't say anything to the monk about this - or you'll regret it!" Sesshomaru was in the unusual position of containing a smirk. He was grateful the wind kept his scent from the well. The hanyou would not be any trouble in that condition while the miko… A quiet, short growl escaped his calm facade. Where was the miko?

"Inuyasha," he said coldly, stepping out from under the shadows of the Goshinboku and immediately garnering the hanyou's attention. "I require the miko." Inuyasha's ears flattened and he dropped his hands from the buckles of the bag to grab Tessaiga. He did not, thankfully, stand.

"You!" He spat, eyes wide. If Sesshomaru had been less concerned with Rin's welfare and more...well, not himself, he would have rolled his eyes. Instead, he strode forward within a few lengths of the well.

"Fetch your miko," he ordered.

"What the fuck do you want with Kagome?" Inuyasha stood, to Sesshomaru's displeasure, and leveled his sword towards the older brother. "She ain't here, and if you don't tell me what you want, she ain't comin' either. Just back the fuck-" Another wave of power flashed across the clearing, ruffling Sesshomaru's youki and disappearing as quickly as the blue light that heralded use of the portal. He did not require note of the widening of Inuyasha's eyes or the indecision flashing across his features to know the miko had arrived. Her distinct scent, familiar to him from their alliance against Naraku, burst into his nose from the nothing that was the dry, musty well and day-old scents of both the human woman and the hanyou. "Shit." Although Sesshomaru appreciated the hanyou's predicament, his language left something to be desired and the situation would only devolve further if he allowed his younger sibling to steer matters.

"Inuyasha!" Her voice called from the bottom of the well. "Just throw on your pants and get me out of here. I need to get-"

Sesshomaru did not wait for her to finish, but leapt into the well, secured the female against his side, and ascended again faster than she could let out a startled gasp. "You will tend to Rin." He did not look at her, but stepped away to lead her to the God tree. He was aware that her human eyesight was lacking, so he would show her the way so that she might begin as quickly as possible. "Jaken," he continued, "fetch firewood and-"

"Excuse me?" There was something in her tone...was it defiance? Surely not. Jaken scrambled away, recognizing the minute details that signaled his lord's ire. Sesshomaru's nostrils flared and he turned slowly. Rin was ill. The miko's assistance was required. She would - "I am not-"

"You will obey, woman, or-"

"She said fuck off, you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled. He leapt in front of the miko, and Sesshomaru felt his iron control slipping. Rin was ill. The miko's assistance was required. He flexed his claws and dokusou dripped from his claws. His ward would not suffer even a moment longer than necessary. If he had to end the life of Inu-

"-YASHA!" The girl shrieked. The shrill volume pierced his ears and flattened the hanyou's furry appendages against his head. "You're _naked_!" she continued in a strangled whisper. "I can handle Sesshomaru - certainly better than you right now - what are you going to do, embarrass him to death?" The hanyou tried to respond but she cut him off. "Get out of my way and get dressed or I'll you-know-what, and think about how _that_ is going to feel without your pants on!" The hanyou looked venomous, but he jumped away and back to the yellow bag, and, presumably, his clothes. The miko took a deep breath. "Sesshomaru-sama," she bowed, and for once Sesshomaru was displeased with the respectful formality. Rin did not have time for that. "If you would please expl-"

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her against him again, speeding to the tree and dropping her at Rin's side in less time that it would take a human to blink. "Rin is ill. This Sesshomaru requires your assistance." Looking down at his ward, even in the growing darkness he could see that her condition had grown worse. The flattened welts that had covered the inside of her mouth and spread to her face and neck and were beginning to appear on her chest where it was exposed by the vee of her kimono. The newest lesions were pale pink. Those more than a few hours old were already turning dark red. Raised white dots marked the center of each oval shape. The miko remained silent, and Sesshomaru growled in warning. "Begin healing now, woman, or risk this Sesshomaru's displeasure."

"Sesshomaru, I can't - oh...wait." The miko slipped a bag from her shoulders, not unlike the yellow one left by the well, and dug for a few precious moments. Finally she withdrew a lantern, which lit in an instant and flooded the area with a light so intensely white Sesshomaru almost had to shield his eyes. The miko blinked and leaned over Rin, carefully pulling the mokomoko away so that it did not shadow her face.

"Oh, no," she whispered. Her hands ghosted over the still features of the little girl, assessing, but not touching, and then she turned to him. "I am so sorry, Sesshomaru-sama, I-" He wasn't even aware he had moved. The miko was pressed against the tree, his claws around her arm and throat, poison seeping onto her skin. Her eyes were wide and her skin pale, but the daiyoukai cared only for her words.

"You will heal her," he snarled. He refused to believe that the miko would, could, do anything else. She cared for other humans, hanyou, even youkai. She helped everyone, including those who should be her enemies. The foolishly soft heart and immense power of this untrained miko was all that stood between Rin and death. She _would_ heal Rin. He knew his youki was bucking wildly and he fought for control. He heard the kit whimper. Inuyasha snarled and unsheathed Tessaiga and Sesshomaru lashed out with nothing but his own demonic energy, bending the hanyou to his will and throwing him across the clearing. "You _will_ heal her."

He might have injured her irreparably if not for the softening of her eyes and the glitter of tears that threatened to fall. Her scent penetrated the haze of anger and despicable helplessness that threatened to overwhelm him. Fresh cut cherry wood and new magnolia blossoms. Salty tears. Anxiety like dry mace. Her fear, the smell of ripe sour melon he knew from previous battles, was absent. She did not fear him, despite his claws, his poison, his power, his feral anger.

"Of course," her words were garbled from lack of air, but he understood and released most of the pressure on her neck. "I am only sorry for the pain she has felt, and what you have endured on her behalf. I will get to work as soon as-" Her eyes flicked down and he released her at once. His anger and a twisting fear he refused to acknowledge were still present, but her calm agreement had turned his animosity from her. He forced his cold mask back into place, noting the way his acid slid down her skin, smoking without leaving injury, and stepped aside to allow her access to Rin. "I will do my best, Sesshomaru-sama. You should know that there are many humans, in other villages, who have been taken by this same illness." She was quiet for a few moments while she pulled items from her bag. She did not look at him again, but she spoke softly and with a seriousness that he had not often heard or expected from the indecently dressed companion of his foolish brother. "I know this sickness, Sesshomaru. Where I come from it has plagued entire nations many times. I will save Rin, or die trying, but you should know...this pox has killed hundreds of thousands of humans. If it hasn't already begun, it will sweep across your lands as it is doing here in the East."

"You will discuss it with this Sesshomaru once Rin is well." He stepped back. Once. Twice. Until another tree was at his back and he could sink to the ground in an elegant act of nonchalance that concealed the racing pulse of his blood - still hot from the moment where he believed that Rin would die because she could or would not act. That was not a thought he needed to pursue. Rin would be well. The miko would make it so. He watched her further loosen his mokomoko and use unfamiliar devices from her bag to look in the girl's mouth and listen to her lungs. He ignored the hanyou, who ordered the kit back to the village with instructions to let the others know of Kagome's return, and to keep them away from the clearing. Inuyasha settled against a tree on the other side of the Goshinboku, fully dressed and with his sword against his shoulder, and took up a tense watch over the miko. _At least he has the sense not to interfere with this._

Gradually, Sesshomaru became uncomfortably aware that he would owe the one called Kagome a debt. In addition, if she truly knew so much about this disease, he would require further assistance from her. Assistance which most priestesses would be unwilling to give, as it would save the lives of demons. He firmly locked away such thoughts and the unfamiliar feelings that tried to stir as he watched a human woman care for his ward. "You misspeak," he said instead. She raised a brow, but did not interrupt or turn to him. "This plague is already in the West. It has brought low many human villages in this Sesshomaru's territory." He paused, weighing the value of sharing tactical information before it was absolutely necessary against the pang of, of...whatever it was that the miko's actions called out of him. "This 'pox'," he tried out the unfamiliar word and found it unsatisfactory, "infects demons as well."


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshomaru watched the miko closely, noting each time she touched Rin to assess her condition or administer some medicine, for several hours. Jaken came and went in that time, building a small fire and leading Ah-Un away to forage for food. She spoke only once, to order Inuyasha to take some of her strange devices to the village. There was a heated argument, only the low volume of their voices kept him from interrupting them. Finally, she pressed a bound tome into the hanyou's hand and threatened to subjugate him if he did not take the things to the monk and assist him. Sesshomaru understood that his half-brother was reluctant to leave the miko alone with him. _Foolish._ As if the hanyou's presence would be more than a minor inconvenience if he decided to harm the woman.

Once Inuyasha was out of her hearing range, but still well within the capacity of the daiyoukai's senses, she spoke to him. "I have given her something to ease her pain and make her breathing less difficult, however..." She held Rin's hand gently, careful not to disturb the blood and pus filled lesions that heavily coated his ward's palms. Sesshomaru wondered that the human did not have any concern for catching the disease herself. She seemed aware of the life-threatening nature of the illness, but he did not scent any fear or anxiety for her own well-being. Her actions were almost...maternal. How odd that one would have such deep feelings for a child that was only briefly familiar to her. Such sentimentality was far beyond that of any other human he had encountered; the species seemed far more self-absorbed and cowardly than the miko. She interrupted his thoughts, "I have a medicine that can keep a few from getting sick, and it can make those already sick less severe. But-"

"You will treat Rin." Something tightened in his chest. The miko would not refuse to heal his ward, he would not allow it. Rin would live.

"I already said I would, Sesshomaru." In her exasperation, she forgot his honorific, and he let it go, too focused on her promise of help. "The medicine has to be administered in the first three days of symptoms to be effective, and it looks like-"

"She has been ill for seven nights." He refused to believe that there was no other recourse. If the miko had something which would help Rin, she would use it. If the medicine needed to be made stronger, they would find a way.

"I thought so." She muttered to herself, frowning and arguing with no one. Her voice was so low even he could catch no more than a few incoherent sounds. After a time, she seemed to come to a decision. She squared her shoulders and faced him. "With your permission, I would like to try to heal Rin with my reiki." Before he could answer she rudely waved him off, "Of course, you must understand that I have not tried this before with something so...I have only ever healed cuts and bruises - only things for practice. I am not certain it will work."

"Proceed." He did not have to smell her to know her surprise and determination. The miko was, as always, ridiculously expressive. Much like Rin.

"You should step back, Sesshomaru-sama. I am still poorly trained. I burned Inuyasha only a few weeks ago when I lost control."

"This one is no mere hanyou. Proceed." He remained in his position less than ten feet from Rin's nest. The miko looked like she wanted to argue, but wisely snapped her mouth shut and turned back to her patient. Her hands settled on either side of Rin's head and she closed her eyes. Within a few moments, he detected the faint aura of her holy power. Her hands began to glow softly, the pink light washing over his ward's features and painting her with warmth. The power continued to grow steadily, until both the miko and Rin were limned in rosy hues. His youki tingled from the proximity of her strength, familiar and yet unfamiliar. This was not the destructive, purifying force she infused in her arrows. It was a power of growth and new life, of healing and renewal. Reiki and youki were opposites, and he was intrigued to find that his own nature, although roused by her display, was not disturbed by it. Rather, he felt as though he was standing near a warm fire - aware of the potential for danger but appreciative of the light and heat.

Rin seemed to appreciate the flow of energy as well. The stiffness in her limbs relaxed, her breathing eased. Sesshomaru listened closely to her heart and lungs. Her pulse grew stronger and steadier, the wet sound of her breath decreased to something much closer to normal. Minutes passed, then hours, and still the miko knelt quietly by the girl. The sky was beginning to lighten, just a relaxation of the absolute darkness that signaled eventual dawn, when a shout rang out from the path to the village.

"Oi!"

The miko opened her eyes and made a surprised, squeaking sound. Simultaneously, her aura flared. An explosion of reiki licked along his skin and fluttered the leaves in the trees. Sesshomaru tensed for the uncomfortable hot sensation of purification, but it did not come. Instead, he was washed in a gentle, warm embrace. Like a summer wind on the ocean, the smell of fresh air and salt tickled his nose. Power lifted his hair, tugged at his clothes, and brushed across his skin. The sensation of soft petals on his face and the scent of magnolia disappeared as quickly as it came, followed by another shout.

"Fuck! Ow! Kagome!" The hanyou appeared, jogging toward them and slapping at faint tendrils of smoke that rose from his reddened skin. He snarled at the miko, and Sesshomaru had to fight the urge to growl back. The miko did not belong to Sesshomaru - but she was working at _his_ behest, on _his _ward. His half-brother would do well not to interfere. Although, perhaps the instruction was not necessary. The ozone and singed hair scent of purification was thick around the idiot. He must have learned something from the pain, as he stopped twenty feet away from the priestess.

"Oh, sorry Inuyasha! I was...I…" She blinked heavily and Sesshomaru noted that her power had winked out, as if it had never been. She was swaying slightly, and her eyes were unfocused. "I told you not to surprise me when I'm using my power," she finished weakly.

"How the fuck was I supposed to know you-"

"Language. Not...not in front of...of Rin, okay?" Sesshomaru sniffed delicately. Her scent was exhausted, and her heartbeat was slowing down. He stood and walked to her side, ignoring the protests of his half-brother to catch the miko as she fell unconscious. He lowered her to the ground beside Rin. Finding his ward's fever had lessened significantly, he rearranged his mokomoko to cover both humans. He chose not to examine the motives behind ensuring _her_ comfort.

"What the fuck did you do to her, you bastard?" The furious whisper would not be heard by the sleeping females, but it easily reached Sesshomaru's ears. He stiffened. Only one as ignorant as the hanyou would call his honor into question by implying that he would harm one under his protection. The miko had agreed to help him. He would, regrettably, owe her much before she was finished. He would care for her as part of his pack until her task was complete.

"Mind your tone, foolish one. She has exhausted herself. This Sesshomaru has done nothing to the miko." He raised a brow and pointedly took in Inuyasha's disheveled and smoking appearance. "_She_ appears to have done something to _you_, however." The comment drew an immediate frown and a sound of extreme displeasure.

"Just how the hell did you manage not to get caught in that shit? Her reiki stings like a motherfucker if she isn't concentrating on not hurting me."

"You assume this Sesshomaru ran from _that_ one?" He allowed the barest smile to grace his lips. Rin was healing, and with the miko at his side he would be able to ensure that she was returned to health and stayed that way. His foremost concern alleviated, he was able to take some small pleasure in antagonizing the hanyou. It was really far too easy. "This Sesshomaru was also affected by her power. It was most...soothing."

He leaned back against the God tree, fully aware it was the hanyou's favorite perch and that he would be unable to use it while Sesshomaru was there, and listened to the quiet curses of Inuyasha. His eyes slid partway closed as the first streaks of dawn appeared in the sky. The miko would be a valuable asset. Once Rin was well he would bring both humans back to the castle. He was confident that he would successfully convince the strange woman to heal the demons as well. One such as he had never had anything to fear from the strange priestess, but since he had been exposed to her power and felt not even the slightest pain of purification, he was even more confident that he could manipulate her as he saw fit. It might even be amusing if she attempted to truly purify him. Her ire would be humorous, and he would not mind repeating the sensation either.

ooo

"Ugh," Kagome moaned softly. She felt as though she had run 10K and then let someone pour sand in her eyes. Her stomach was painfully empty, her muscles sore, and she wanted nothing so badly as to go back to sleep. Right after she found a secluded tree and took care of personal business. She attempted to sit up, but found her arms and legs helplessly bound in the softest, furriest- Kagome's eyes shot open and she was met with the piercing golden gaze of Sesshomaru, surrounded by white fur. "What in the…"

"Sleep, Miko. You are not yet replete."

"Replete?" She blinked, confused. Why was Sesshomaru staring at her, and what was she using as a blanket?

"It means-"

"I know what it means," she interrupted, and then blushed. The unfortunate rudeness was forgotten as her memory came back to her. Swiftly, she pushed out of the fur, it seemed much larger up close than she remembered it looking draped around Sesshomaru, and turned to Rin. Her patient was breathing much easier. Her color was better, and the welts on her face were reduced in color and number. She folded back the covering. To her satisfaction, she noted that the girl's hands were also less spotty, and her chest was completely clear. She let out a pleased _hum_ and dug in her bag for her stethoscope. She listened to Rin's heart and lungs and took her pulse. Her improvement was much more rapid than Kagome had hoped for.

She stood and stretched, determined to find a nice tree and a place to wash up before she had breakfast and examined Rin more closely. She didn't manage more than a step away from the makeshift bed before she found a solid wall of daiyoukai in her way. Only his hands on her shoulders kept her from running directly into his spiked armor. _Who designed this thing right at eye-height? Well I suppose it is supposed to be danger_- Sesshomaru interrupted her thoughts.

"You will not leave, Miko."

"Actually, I will leave, _Daiyoukai_," she said with a raised brow. She was in a wonderful mood. Her reiki had worked - _really well_ - and in a way she had never tried before. She had only singed Inuyasha a little, and Rin was getting better. She would not let stuffy Sesshomaru ruin it. Plus she really had to pee. "I have to take care of a few things, then I will be back to see to Rin."

"There is nothing that cannot wait." His haughty tone irritated her and made her forget herself.

"Relieving myself can_not_ wait, so get out of the way. Please." She could feel the blush working up her cheeks, but she tilted her head back, far back, and met his gaze. His face was impassive, as always, but there was something about his eyes. The dark honey color was the same, but there, at the corners... His skin was pinched, causing tiny worry wrinkles that marred the smooth skin of his face. Kagome felt her traitorous heart melt a little. Sesshomaru was a frightening killer, and he was often really mean to her best friend, and if he didn't let her go soon, she was going to irreparably embarrass herself. However, he cared for Rin, maybe even loved her. His concern for her health was so great he allowed it to cause imperfections in his perfect self. "I will be right back, Sesshomaru-sama. I promise," she said softly.

His hands dropped from her arms and he turned abruptly. "Jaken, tend the fire." She walked away listening to the subdued complaints of the toad followed by the sound of a boot connecting with soft flesh and silence. She washed her hands in the tiny stream that flowed through the woods and nearly fell in when Inuyasha dropped out of a tree behind her.

"Gawk!"

"Keep it down, wench. That asshole's hearing is even better than mine." He scowled and crouched next to her.

"If you don't want to startle people, you shouldn't sneak up on them." He _hrumphed_ and she straightened herself out. Her ponytail was probably crazy, and her shirt was terribly wrinkled, but her leggings and hiking shoes were clean enough. She longed for a bath, but her supplies were back at the well and she doubted Sesshomaru would appreciate it if she was gone that long. Not that there was enough water in the stream for a proper bath anyhow. She finger combed her hair and watched Inuyasha fidget. "Did Miroku get a hang of the needle?"

"Yeah. He gave the shot to Sango and Kaede." An evil grin split his face, "I showed him how on himself."

"I hope you didn't dig the needle around, Inuyasha," she said reproachfully. "Miroku might deserve a little pain every now and then, but needles can really hurt, and I only have a few replacements with me - so don't break it."

"Keh, he's fine." They lapsed into silence for a little while and Kagome was content to sit and admire the crisp morning while Inuyasha worked up to what he wanted to say. It took less time than she expected. "How's the kid?"

"I think Rin is going to be fine. I need to examine her again, and, remember, I have never actually seen anyone with smallpox before, so I won't feel really comfortable until she is completely healthy." Her happiness with herself dimmed a bit as she considered the work still ahead of her, but she was still optimistic. "When she gets scabs, I'll save some to make an inoculation for the villagers. Although…" she frowned, "if Sesshomaru is right about demons getting sick, you and Shippo should get a shot too. I don't know how it will react to youkai…"

"You can try it out on me first, and if it goes okay, give it to the brat." Inuyasha stood and offered her a hand. "Be careful with that asshole, Kagome. He needs you right now for the kid, but if he decides you aren't doing a good job-"

"I'll be fine, Inuyasha." She smiled warmly at him. It was nice to have someone worry over her, even if it wasn't necessary. "Besides, I can always zap him if he gets too pushy." She made an exploding motion with her hands and Inuyasha gave her a strange look.

"I don't think he-" Branches rustled and cracked and Inuyasha stepped protectively in front of her. He sniffed, and relaxed, "It's only the toad." Jaken appeared moments later, out of breath and covered in a thin sheen of mucus that Kagome assumed was his version of sweat. _Gross._

"Come, filthy human," he gurgled. Inuyasha stiffened and Kagome rolled her eyes. She understood why Sesshomaru always seemed to have a pebble handy to bean the self-important little retainer.

"Don't you call Kagome-"

"Silence, half-breed!" It was Kagome's turn to narrow her eyes. _That pompous little_- "Rin is awake. Sesshomaru-sama orders-" She didn't wait to hear whatever drivel he had to say, but took off back towards the God tree. There was a thump and a squawk of pain, and then Inuyasha was scooping her up and bounding through the trees. He stopped a short distance from the mound of blankets and fur and let her down under Sesshomaru's watchful gaze.

"Remember what I said, Kagome. I'll be right here." She waved him off absently and he withdrew into the clearing. Rin was, indeed, awake and sitting up against a tree root. The white fur that Sesshomaru usually wore had been rearranged to provide both blanket and pillow. It created a cozy nest that would protect her from the rough bark of the Goshinboku and keep her warm. Pleasant, nice feelings towards the stoic daiyoukai returned at the thought of him providing such comfort for his ward.

"How are you feeling, Rin?" She asked softly. The girl's eyes turned to her. The brown color was still a bit glassy, but her skin was no longer the deathly pale it had been the night before. The rash appeared to still be receding as well.

"Kagome-san! Rin is very happy to see you! Sesshomaru-sama said-" There was a low, disembodied rumble and the raspy chatter cut off abruptly. "Rin is feeling much better. Thank you, Kagome-san." Kagome shook her head at the strange image of the Killing Perfection reproving a child and sank down onto the fur. She lay one hand on Rin's forehead, and happy with the low fever, she reached into her bag to find her stethoscope.

"Does your throat hurt, Rin-chan?" The girl shook her head and watched with wide eyes as Kagome put the ends in her ears. She loosened the fur and blew on the metal diaphragm to warm it before sliding it inside Rin's kimono over her chest. "Take a deep breath, Rin." She had the girl repeat the exercise, and then listened to her heart. Rin was avidly curious, and Kagome could practically feel the daiyoukai's eyes on her back. She smiled. Inuyasha and the others were used to her new medical instruments, she had forgotten how strange they would seem to someone else. "Would you like to hear your heart?" The girl nodded and she adjusted the stethoscope into her ears.

"It is so loud, Sesshomaru-sama! Almost as loud as your heart!" That telling sentence was enough to keep Kagome's mind reeling with contrasting images of Sesshomaru shredding his enemies into unrecognizable gore, and the same youkai cuddling a small child. She continued her exam, finally sitting back and noticing that Jaken had started fish over the fire while she was working. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that supper was long past, and she guessed that it had been even longer since Rin had eaten.

"Inuyasha, would you see if Sango has some plain broth for Rin-chan, please?" He scowled, but she knew he would help. He disappeared over the hill and she urged Rin to drink water while she scarfed down a fish as quickly as possible without looking like a half-starved animal. Once Inuyasha returned and Rin was settled under Jaken's watchful eye with a bowl of soup, she motioned Sesshomaru over to Inuyasha and settled onto the ground. After a brief pause, he did the same, albeit more gracefully than she had.

"I think I should use my reiki again when she's done eating, just to be safe. Would that be permissible, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Hn."

"Good. Why don't you tell us about the demons who are sick." She probably should have made it a question.

"This one sees no reason for the hanyou to hear of such things."

"Hey! Wait a sec, you-"

"Inuyasha," she warned. Her friend shut his mouth, but he sulked as he handed over the medical pouch and book she had sent to the village the night before. "Anything you want to tell me, you may as well tell Inuyasha. I will certainly tell him anyhow." She smiled sweetly and punched the hanyou's arm to get rid of the satisfied grin that had no doubt erupted on his face. She did not look at him, but kept her gaze on the daiyoukai while Inuyasha grunted in exaggerated pain. She readied her syringe while she waited. Inuyasha calmly removed his haori, although she knew he must be dying to rub his superior knowledge of her medicine into Sesshomaru's face - _he really has matured_ - and rolled up his sleeve. Again, the daiyoukai's curiosity was almost tangible, pushing against her senses and demanding answers. "In exchange, I could tell you about this." She held up the vial of vaccine.

"This Sesshomaru shall-" he paused, and his nostrils flared. He breathed deeply again, almost, but not quite, sniffing. "It has no scent." It was spoken as a statement, but Kagome heard the question and smiled.

"You were saying about the demons?" She listened to his deep, even voice attentively while she prepared Inuyasha and gave him the injection. She sterilized the bifurcated needle while he named the human villages that had reported the illness. She put away her supplies while he described how the first demons in his household fell to the sickness. She held still, heart in her throat, when he flatly stated that one had died.

"The demons do not progress as quickly as Rin. However, this Sesshomaru estimates that within the week another ten will succumb. All are lesser youkai in villages or this one's service." Kagome had to force herself out of her shocked silence. Inuyasha never got sick - never. He was hanyou, she couldn't imagine how virulent a disease would have to be to infect full-youkai. Sesshomaru spoke again, as though the words were forced from him. "Such a thing is not known in the history of youkai." She could believe it. A curl of dread unfurled in her belly. She glanced at Inuyasha and the serious look on his face fueled that terror.

"Do you think…" She couldn't finish the thought.

"Maybe, it - hell, fuck if I know, Kagome." Inuyasha pulled his haori on with jerky movements. "Just cause I never smelled 'em, doesn't mean they aren't there. I told you-"

"Never, Inuyasha. In nineteen years, I have never sensed one. If this disease-"

"You will explain your fear to this Sesshomaru." She froze. For a moment she had forgotten he was even there. Sharp thorns of worry pricked her and she debated silently. If she told him, there was no going back. If he believed her, there would be one more person who could upset the flow of time. If he didn't… Sesshomaru wasn't in a patient mood.

"Miko," he growled threateningly. It was the third time in less than twenty-four hours that he had lost his cool with her. She decided that was a sign that he needed to know.

"The well doesn't take me to a place. It takes me to a _time_."

"Kagome," Inuyasha questioned, but she continued, not breaking eye contact with Sesshomaru.

"I am from five hundred years in the future. In my time, there are no demons."

ooo

Sesshomaru could smell her fear. _Finally. _She had suffered his claws, still bore bruises from where he had gripped her and held her against the tree, and lived through his poison without even a _wiff_ of unease. Here in the autumn sunlight, hearing of the death of a youkai she did not know, she smelled of fear. Dry mace and sour melon flesh almost overpowered the mildly sweet cherry wood and magnolia of _her_.

"You will explain your fear to this Sesshomaru," he demanded. She did not respond, but instead the fear grew stronger. The urge to eliminate the combination of pungent and bitter was almost undeniable. "Miko," he growled.

"The well doesn't take me to a place. It takes me to a _time_." Sesshomaru fell completely still and considered her words. The power of the well was immense. That supported her claim. So did her strange clothes and manner of speech. She was unusually well educated, but seemed to lack basic knowledge that he would expect any human woman to know. And she was not lying. Her fear was still present, but there was no putrid scent of deception around her. The miko was from the future. _The future miko._ He turned that over in his mind a few times. She was untrained, but still an incredibly powerful priestess. She had proven many times her ability to destroy youkai, but she apparently posed no such threat to him. For those reasons she had value as an ally. She saved Rin and had the skills and instinct to protect and care for his ward in ways he could not. For that reason he would bring her to the castle; it would be worth much to him to convince her to stay. Knowledge of the future, of events that would come to pass… He determined then, between beats of her heart, that he would keep her. Such power, prophecy, and utility were clear advantages to the West. Her heart and soul were of advantage to Rin. _Advantage to this Sesshomaru._

"Kagome," Inuyasha interrupted, but her eyes stayed on the daiyoukai, as if trying to force him to listen and understand by sheer willpower.

"I am from five hundred years in the future. In my time, there are no demons." She paused for a long moment. "Sess-"

"You are mistaken." The hanyou and the miko stared at him and Sesshomaru held back a sigh. It pained him to explain the obvious. "This Sesshomaru is far superior of other youkai. It is not possible that this one would not survive such a measly number of years."

"Measly?" The human echoed faintly.

"It means-"

"I know," she cut him off and he had the uncommon urge to growl at her disrespect. He seemed to have such inclinations often around the miko. _The future miko._ "I had thought that perhaps youkai went into hiding," Sesshomaru raised one brow, as if one such as him would hide, "or had learned to conceal their youki and markings to blend in better with humans."

"Demons have no need for such deception. Humans pose no threat to any but weak and foolish youkai...or hanyou."

"Fuck you, asshole!" Sesshomaru almost smirked. Inuyasha was too easy to rile. "You think you can overcome anything? There is a big difference between a village armed with pitchforks and a samurai army." The daiyoukai remained passive. If Inuyasha thought to frighten him, it would not work.

"I have destroyed such armies before."

"Keh. You think that is the worst they can come up with? You-"

"How many humans are in the West, Sesshomaru-sama?" The miko cut in, silencing his half-brother's rant. He named a figure that was more estimate than fact. Humans died and gave birth too quickly to keep accurate numbers. "The village where I am from, the Edo of the future, has more than 40,000 people living in it. It is part of a larger city called Tokyo. Tokyo is home for more than 13 million human beings, Sesshomaru. That is more than all of the people in Japan today, in the feudal era - _your_ time. You think that there will never be a day when strong youkai, when _you_, have to fear humans. In my time, we are not one army of samurai. There are 7 billion humans in the world, and we are still adding more." She spoke quietly, but every word was the truth. He could not understand it. There was no possible way they could reproduce so quickly in a mere 500 years. Where would they all live? As though he had spoken aloud, Inuyasha answered him.

"They have built houses of metal and glass that rise higher than trees - higher than even you could jump, Sesshomaru." For once, the hanyou was serious and calm. Sesshomaru tested his scent. There was no trace of lies in him either, but something else...a sadness, and a hint of fear as well. "There are no open spaces for miles and miles. It stinks of the machines they use to build and run their cities. Everywhere there are humans, and they have forgotten us." A fire burned in Inuyasha's eyes and his next words were a dagger to Sesshomaru's pride. "They do not believe we exist. They," the half-demon swallowed convulsively, "Kagome's brother showed me a story book about the Great Dog General." Golden eyes, so reminiscent of his father's, met Sesshomaru and twisted the blade. If he had believed he had a heart, he would have thought his was broken. "They call it a fairy-tale. You think you cannot be defeated. Everything is defeated with time, _big brother_." Inuyasha made one last dig with his endearment, stood and stepped away. Sesshomaru, even in his shock, did not draw attention to the smell of salt that trailed his half-brother.

"I-" He began, then he shook himself and started again. "This cannot be." It was not possible. So many great youkai, and himself at the pinnacle, they could not have been conquered by humans. _And yet these two spoke the truth._

"I don't think there was a war or outright killing of youkai, Sesshomaru." The miko spoke quietly, but it was her hand on his sleeve that drew his attention out of his own thoughts. It was...strangely comforting. "It would be in the history books, however disguised. I think...I think now that this disease might be the answer to what happened to demons between the feudal era and my time."

"You are changing the future." She drew back at his observation, and he was acutely aware of the loss of heat from her small hand.

"Always," she agreed, "but not in ways that have ever affected my time in a noticeable way, although that is a matter of debate given the physics of-" she shook her head, "nevermind. I wondered why the well allowed me to continue to travel, after the Shikon was completed. I think, maybe, I still have something to do here." He stared into her blue eyes, so unusual for a human - _for a human from this time_ - and was surprised by her again. A miko. A human of divine power. A killer of youkai. Sent back in time to defeat Naraku and...and save the demon races. It was ridiculous. It was unbelievable. In a convoluted way, it was exactly what he had come to expect from the strange, clumsy girl who always seemed to be in exactly the wrong place, at exactly the right time. The girl who always needed saving, who had saved them all. It deserved further thought.

"Hn."

She stared at him for a moment, then laughed. The clear, silvery sound should have pained his ears. Instead it lightened something in him. He wasn't sure he liked the feeling.


	3. Chapter 3

A cold wind blew off the sea and brought the scent of snow to the northern lands. Ryukostokken dug his claws into the stone wall and stared at the slope of the mountain below him. His territory stretched out to the south, disgracefully reduced from the time of his father and grandfather. Dragons had ruled from the north for millennia, instilling fear and obedience in all those who fell under the shadow of their wings. Lesser demons offered tribute and respect to the Ryuu; humans worshipped them as gods and the lords of the north had bathed in the blood of their enemies. The soil was wet with their glorious and terrible victories.

Then there was the _dog_. Gouges appeared in the stone and sharp flecks of granite broke away and fell to the empty training ground far below. _The Inu no Taisho._ Ruyystokken snarled and slammed his fist into the wall. A block weighing more than three men split into pieces. The coward attacked Ryūkotsusei and sealed him, rather than giving him an honorable death. The disgrace of the dragons was completed when the dog's half-breed whelp managed to kill the magnificent Ryukotsusei - again using trickery. The death of his sire forced Ryukostokken from Japan for many years, driven out by enemies of the North who sought to end the dragons. If not for his journey to the mainland, he would not have- The dragon snarled in fury and turned his back on the view of Japan.

If he could still maintain his true form, he would swoop down on the half-breed bastard and gnash his bones with one bite. He would drink the red blood of the bastard son of the Great Dog General, then he would seek out his heir. Sesshomaru. Lord of the West. Killing Perfection. _Saidai mao, _the highest lord_._ The titles of the young dog were undeserved.

The quiet scrape of a boot on stone drew Ryukostokken's attention and ire. He lashed out, striking his servant with a vicious claw. The male fell to the ground in a crouch, four bloody slashes laying open his scarred cheek. "Forgive me, Ryukostokken-denkaue!" The young dragon prostrated himself, but his Lord remained unsatisfied.

"Five lashes," he snarled and the male cowered.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Why have you disturbed this one?"

"Your spy has returned from the East, he awaits your pleasure, my Lord."

"And the West?" Ryukostokken simmered with pent up anger and anticipation.

"No message has come to the North." The servant continued hastily to forestall any additional punishment for bringing unwelcome news, "But word has reached other ears that Sesshomaru seeks healing knowledge in in the East and South. The infected furs were spread among several villages, as you ordered, my Lord." The dragon lord bared his teeth in a mockery of a smile. Many dragons had died so that he could bring his vengeance on the House of Inu no Taisho. The West would fall before the might of Ryukostokken; the pup would grovel at his feet and beg for his life.

"Go," he ordered. The servant scrambled away and Ryukostokken turned back to look over the wall. His jaws were poised to snap off the head of the dog, and then he would turn to all of Japan. He would bring humans and youkai to their knees, and then they would know fear again. "Soon," he murmured into the wind. "This Ryukostokken will be Saigo Mao no longer. No more will the North be last among the demon lords, but first. Not saigo, but saidai!"

He lifted his face to shout his claim to the heavens. They responded with the first cold flakes of winter. Snow settled on his dark hair and in the deep, pitted scars of his face and hands. His whisper sent a thrill of fire through his lungs, wreathing him in smoke, "No longer a mere prince. Not denka, but emperor."

ooo

Shippo sat on the edge of the well and twitched his tail with barely suppressed excitement. It had been three days since Sesshomaru had brought Rin to Edo. Three long days since he had been allowed near Kagome. He had watched her taking care of the little girl, using her reiki to speed her recovery. Every time they laughed or Kagome cuddled Rin, he felt a little stab of jealousy. Rin was his friend, he couldn't wait to play with her. At the same time, he was not used to having Kagome near, but being unable to snuggle in her arms, to smell the soft, sweet scent that always soothed him. He missed her. He missed Rin too, and he knew it wasn't the girl's fault that she was sick, but the minute he was allowed to do so, he was going to hug Kagome - forever.

He rubbed at the pale bruise that hadn't quite faded on his arm. Miroku had been gentle with the needle, Shippo wasn't stupid enough to let Inuyasha stick him, but it had still formed an odd scab and sore spot that didn't heal like injuries normally did for the little youkai. The night after, he had gotten sick - just like the hanyou. He was hot and sweaty, and his joints ached. When he woke up he felt fine, but Kagome said he had to wait another full day before he would be safe around Rin.

A blur of white caught his eye, and Shippo froze at attention. Sesshomaru had returned to the little camp. He had left for the first time early that morning, right after breakfast, no doubt to hunt. Shippo's nose and ears quivered. The daiyoukai kept his scent and youki tightly leashed unless he wanted his presence known. Inuyasha thought it was just another indication of what a sneaky bastard his brother was. Shippo knew better. His father had done the same thing. It made playing tricks on humans easier, but more importantly, it kept his family safe. Unless he was fighting, the only place the older kitsune had let his scent and youki accumulate was in their den and on Shippo and his fox mother.

His close attention was successful. Shippo breathed deeply and caught Sesshomaru's scent. It was strange...different than when he was fighting Inuyasha when it was laced with amusement or irritation. When he fought for real, there was excitement or anger in his scent. Even then, Sesshomaru had better control than even Shippo's dad, a five-tail, had ever had over his scent. It was always faint and disappeared quickly. The daiyoukai circled the camp slowly, pausing to rest a hand on Rin's head. His clothing brushed against Kagome as he walked by. She didn't seem to notice, but Shippo stiffened. The wind was blowing in his face, and he clearly caught the subdued earthy musk and cloves of Sesshomaru. It marked the area, warning other predators away from his territory. It layered Rin, completely covering the fading metallic, putrid scent of her illness. What most distressed the kit was the way it settled on Kagome as well. He could still smell _her_, but his instincts also told him that she was Sesshomaru's. The kitsune wasn't sure what to think about that.

Sesshomaru was an alpha. A predator above all other animals and youkai. Kagome could not be safer anywhere than she was under his protection. Before, Kagome had always been his. Inuyasha's too, but mostly his. If Sesshomaru claimed Kagome as pack, where did that leave Shippo? The kit frowned. Lost in thought, he almost missed the approach of the daiyoukai.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" His voice squeaked a little in surprise and he nearly fell backward into the well. A clawed hand caught him by his scruff and set him on the ground. Golden eyes in an impassive face looked him over.

"The miko will allow you near today." Shippo yipped in excitement and took off at a run. His progress was immediately halted by a hand on the scruff of his neck, again. "You will be gentle with Rin and the miko." Shippo frowned. Of course he would be careful with Rin, she had been sick, but Kagome was his. No matter how many times Sesshomaru put his scent on her, she was his _first_.

"You can't have her, Kagome is mine! Me and Inuyasha claimed her first!" He crossed his arms in anger. For a brief moment, he had forgotten that Sesshomaru had earned his name, the Killing Perfection. He was lifted until his face was level with the older demon's. His feet dangled far above the ground, and a cool, assessing gaze settled over him. Shippo gulped.

"You have more sense than the hanyou." Shippo blinked, prepared for denial at best and, at worst, outright death. "Those that travel with this Sesshomaru are marked for their protection." Shippo felt tears threatening to fall. So Kagome would go with him. She would leave again, and then he would be alone… He would have friends, but no family. Sesshomaru set him down, but left him with a few more words before releasing his hold. "A pup...or kit...does not claim. It is claimed."

Shippo dashed away from the daiyoukai, but he couldn't stop thinking about what Sesshomaru said. Maybe he had it wrong. Maybe he and Inuyasha hadn't claimed Kagome. Maybe she had claimed them. If he belonged to Kagome, and Kagome belonged to Sesshomaru… Shippo grinned, surprisingly comfortable with that new knowledge. As he ducked under Kagome's arm to receive a kiss and cuddles, another thought occurred to him that made him laugh out loud. If he was Sesshomaru's because of Kagome, that meant Inuyasha was Sesshomaru's too. He couldn't wait to tell the hanyou.

ooo

Rin was very happy. Sesshomaru-sama was with her. He had wrapped her in his mokomoko-san and let her keep it even after she started feeling better. She wasn't sick anymore. Kagome-san was with her, and she was the nicest person Rin knew. She loved Sesshomaru-sama. He was the bravest, most-powerful, most beautiful thing in the world. He had saved her and took care of her. He even brought her to Edo when she was sick - and Rin knew Sesshomaru-sama did not like going to human villages. He had asked Kagome-san to heal her, and her Lord never asked anyone for anything.

Rin let her chin rest on her knees and enjoyed the sensation of Kagome's brush in her hair. She loved Sesshomaru-sama, but Rin was almost sure that she was beginning to love Kagome-san too. The miko was always nice. She smelled good, and she shared her special soaps and pretty brush with Rin. She told stories and sang lullabies in a soft voice. She gave lots of hugs and cuddles. Rin had forgotten how nice it was to be hugged. She hugged Sesshomaru-sama sometimes, and he would pat her head, but he was a great powerful daiyoukai. He did not give hugs. That was okay, she didn't mind, but still… Kagome's hands smoothed over Rin's hair and shoulders before she began pulling it up into a tail. If she had to pick between Sesshomaru-sama and his occasional pats, or Kagome-san and lots of hugs, she would choose Sesshomaru-sama, _of course_.

_But maybe_… Sesshomaru-sama reappeared in the camp and let his palm rest on Rin's head. Rin sighed in contentment. Her Lord circled the nest of fur and, like the day before, brushed against Kagome-san as he moved. Rin knew that he was putting his scent on the camp. Jaken-san had told her once it was why he walked the western lands rather than flying - to mark his territory with his scent and youki. Kagome-san was in their pack while Rin got better, so it made sense that she got his scent too. Maybe Sesshomaru-sama could _keep_ thinking Kagome-san belonged with them. If her Lord wanted the miko, then Rin could be with Sesshomaru-sama _and _Kagome-san. And where Kagome-san went, so did Shippo-kun.

It was an excellent idea, but Rin wasn't sure how to make it happen. She needed advice. She was twelve, but she hadn't spent a lot of time with anyone other than Jaken, Ah-Un, and Sesshomaru-sama. The servants and soldiers at the castle were always respectful, but they did not speak to her very much. She was happy when Sesshomaru-sama travelled with Kagome-san and her group, but she mostly spent time with Shippo-kun or Kagome-san. Sometimes Sango-san took baths with them or helped Rin with setting up camp and making food, and she was nice too, but not as nice as Kagome-san.

The miko rearranged the freshly washed blankets and mokomoko-san. Rin giggled to herself at that memory. Sesshomaru-sama had been most irritated when Kagome-san insisted that the fur had to be scrubbed with hot water and soap. He was very protective of his fur, and there was more of it to keep clean than there had been when she first started travelling with him. True to her promise to the daiyoukai, the fur was just as soft, if not softer, than it had been prior to washing. It smelled good too, still like Sesshomaru-sama, but also like the oil Kagome-san had worked into mokomoko-san. Her Lord had not said anything when the miko rubbed the stuff into the pelt, but he had watched her hands very closely.

Shippo's arrival disturbed her thoughts. "Kagome!" he cried, throwing himself into the miko's arms and snuggling into her neck. Rin smiled. The kitsune had grown since she had last seen him. Although he was still smaller than her, he was too big to sit on Kagome's shoulder.

"Shippo, I missed you! How are you feeling, does your arm hurt?" Rin listened to them talk, like a real mother and son, and felt a rush of envy. She quickly shrugged it off, not liking the ugly feeling. Shippo-kun must have felt awful the past few days, seeing Kagome-san but not able to come close. Rin knew how bad she felt if she could not be with Sesshomaru-sama. Shippo was her friend and he- Rin paused mid-thought, an idea wiggling loose. Shippo-kun spent a lot of time with Kagome-san and the rest of her group. He was really smart too, he knew all sorts of things about youkai and packs and scents. Her eyes went wide and she grinned at the kit. Shippo-kun would give great advice! He smiled back hesitantly and glanced at Kagome-san.

"It's okay, Shippo. You can play with Rin now, just don't be running around and tiring her out." The miko got up to follow Sesshomaru-sama on a walk to the well, and Shippo-kun pulled his crayons and paper from his vest to share, chattering happily. Rin waited until she was sure that her Lord was too far away to hear her before she whispered conspiratorially,

"Can you keep Rin's secret?"

ooo

"Since Jaken is feeling better and Shippo is here to keep Rin company, I'd like to go take a bath, Sesshomaru." The daiyoukai did not respond, and Kagome realized belatedly that although her tone had been respectful, she had forgotten his honorific. Again. _Well, he won't even use my name, so there is no reason for me to give him title._ They walked in silence for a few minutes and Kagome had to rearrange her yellow bag on her shoulders. It was unusually light, carrying only the clothes she had worn the last time she returned from the future and her bathing supplies. All of her medical equipment was in the new bag, and most of her clothes and things were back at Kaede's hut. Thankfully, her one kimono had been in the bag, but it was starting to look pretty poor after two days' use and being slept in. She wondered if it smelled to Sesshomaru. She had given Rin and herself sponge baths in the little stream, but she was sure the sensitive nose of an inu was still bothered.

"You require a guard."

"Miroku hasn't spied on me in ages," she laughed. "I'm sure I will be fine without Inuyasha on the lookout for perverts."

"This one shall guard you." Kagome felt her mouth fall open in shock. If his tone hadn't been so flat and serious, she would have been upset at his high-handed declaration. As it was, she was equally surprised he would be willing to stay in close proximity to her while she was naked and insulted that he might think she would leave Rin permanently. A moment of awkward, intimate desire passed out of existence as soon as she recognized it. It was ludicrous to so much as suggest, even to herself, that the Lord of the West, the Killing Perfection, would have any interest in seeing a human priestess naked. She almost laughed again at the idea. _He is depending on me to keep Rin healthy, and to look into the illness among the demons in his lands. It isn't as though I haven't given him ample reason to think that I can't be left alone without being attacked, or kidnapped, or both_. She sighed.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. I am sure you have more important matters on your mind. I can get Inuyasha to hang out within yelling distance." She bowed slightly, and promptly tripped over nothing. Sesshomaru caught her by the strap of her backpack and set her on her feet without breaking his stride.

"This one shall guard you," he repeated. Kagome sighed again and nodded in acquiescence.

ooo

Sesshomaru stood calmly under the shade of a tree, blocking the path to the hot springs and spreading his youki into the surrounding area. Behind him, the miko bathed quietly. He did not understand her hesitation at first. She had washed her clothes and laid them out to dry and then stood uncomfortably on the edge of the pool. He had given her his back for privacy, but distance was irrelevant for a youkai of his abilities. His senses were so acute, he would be able to recognize every shift of clothing and splash of soap on water whether he was ten feet from her or one hundred. Even now, his ears, nose, and youki sent him images of the miko's actions as if he were looking right at her.

She ducked her head under the water and popped back up almost immediately. Sheets of hot liquid slicked down her hair and ran across her exposed face, neck, and shoulders before returning to the pool. She smelled better already, just having gotten wet. The dirt, sweat, and hundreds of other little odors were dimmed and the wet air amplified her own scent. Sweet cherry wood. Magnolia buds. The faint, fresh, sharp turnip smell of her embarrassment. The water lapped against her skin as she moved to retrieve a dry cloth and the strange liquid soap she claimed everyone used in the future. His sensitive ears easily picked out the motions of her hands as she lathered her hair. The quiet waves against her arms and chest as she washed. The almost imperceptible sound of bubbles sliding down her neck, slipping across the slope of her breast-

Sesshomaru straightened, his already perfect posture becoming infused with iron. There was no reason for him to focus so intently on the miko. Although he could not avoid knowing what she was doing, even how she was feeling to a certain extent, he did not need to _react_ to her. The very idea that he was even capable of such was…unsettling. He willed his blood to cool and turned his mind to a logical dissection of why he would be unwillingly attracted to her. Certainly, he was no lesser being who would deny evidence of such unconscious responses. He had found himself caring for her as he would a packmate, which was not inappropriate, but it _was_ without thought on his part. That was not acceptable. He would be in control of himself. _He_ would decide how he would treat the miko, not some base need or desire. He would determine the source of such inclinations, and cease the cause of such...warmth.

She was powerful. Although still woefully untrained, the sheer mass of her reiki could not be ignored. He was youkai, and inu, and as such he acknowledged that power would call to his instincts. That was acceptable. She was his ally; he would not contemplate alignment with anyone less than nearly equal to his own power. His true equal did not exist, but she was more than most - perhaps even more than any other he had considered affiliation with. His interest, both conscious and on an instinctual level, was appropriate.

She was maternal. That too, called to his instincts - especially when she directed such actions towards his ward. He cared for Rin, and so should appreciate any who made Rin's health and safety a priority. The miko also made Rin happy. Less important than survival, the girl's state of mind was a significant aspect which Sesshomaru admitted to himself that he anticipated and made adjustments for. He determined that he approved of that trait. It added to the miko's utility and would make her more loyal to her packmates. He could appreciate the results of her own instincts - uncommonly strong for a human.

She was unusual. Her strange habits and knowledge of the future made her valuable and...interesting. Sesshomaru understood every creature, tree, and rock in his domain. It was logical that he sought information about the miko as well.

She was not unattractive.

Sesshomaru frowned, considering what he had seen of the miko and finding his own assessment lacking. Four years ago he could have said such of her. She was then a pretty human, but nothing he would have been justified in noticing. She had matured in the intervening years and, when he reviewed his impressions of her face and form honestly, he found that she had grown quite beautiful. Even among youkai, her appearance would be pleasantly viewed. Such thoughts rekindled the heat in his blood, and he frowned again. _My pack should garner respect and admiration for the West._ That was as it should be. His pulse was stronger, but only because she added to the perfection of his house. There was no personal feeling involved.

Satisfied with his organized assessment, Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the miko just in time to hear her sounds of anxiety. He cataloged the living things in the forest around them and a rapidly approaching youkai. It was familiar to him, and he prepared for the demon's arrival. Thankfully, he did not anticipate an immediate conflict. The miko did not share his knowledge and apparently had concerns significant enough that she dashed from the water. He turned to assure her that there was no immediate danger, and was unable to avoid the sight of her wet, naked flesh before she snatched up a towel and tucked herself behind him.

He should have moved away from her, but she pressed herself against his back and wrapped one hand tightly around a strap of his armor. "My clothes are still wet," she said in horror. Sesshomaru was acutely aware of her softness against the muscles of his back and legs. The embarrassment in her scent intensified, spiced with a whisper of anxiety, but it did nothing to detract from the heady mixture of cherry and magnolia that wrapped around him - borne straight to his nose on the steam rising from her skin.

His jaw tensed, the only outward sign of discomfiture he allowed himself. He came to the realization that he might have overlooked something in his assessment of the miko, but he said only, "You are dripping on this one."

ooo

_No, please no, am I really grabbing Sesshomaru like some sort of modesty shield?_ Her face burned with embarrassment, but Kagome didn't move. The approach of an unfamiliar youkai had urged her out of the spring. She had been caught in the bath by enemies before, and she wasn't eager to repeat the experience. Sesshomaru made an excellent deterrent for both ravenous killers and ravenous perverts. According to more than one carnivore, she smelled tasty, and according to Miroku she looked tasty. In her ragged towel and without her bow and arrows, she wasn't prepared to defend against either.

"You are dripping on this one," he said stiffly. Perhaps she might have found a better way to seek Sesshomaru's protection other than plastering herself to his back. The fall air felt downright cold after the hot spring, and goosebumps sprung up all over her skin. The daiyoukai, however, radiated heat. She held onto the knot of her towel with one hand and gripped the strap of his armor with the other. He might not appreciate her position, but he didn't push her away either. If he needed to kill anything, he could damn well do it with her behind him, because she wasn't in the mood to be ogled or chewed on.

"Send me the dry cleaning bill," she muttered. Her face felt hot, but she _knew_ that she was the only one affected by their proximity. Sesshomaru was, certainly, irritated with her presumption with his person, but there was no way he was interested in her body. She could depend on him to remain stoic and apathetic about her state of dress. He would just have to deal with the intimacy he no doubt found distasteful. She would rather have to apologize to him and deal with her own unwelcome responses to his...impressive...self... than worry about _another_ demon. _The devil you know_... She blew out a short breath, knowing the intruder would be upon them soon. "Sorry, Sesshomaru-sama. I will take care of it once I'm not so-"

"Hn."

A swirl of youki energy abruptly stopped, and Kagome peeked out around Sesshomaru to see a male demon bowing before him. His dark blue hair was pulled into tail and his skin was paper white. He looked up with black eyes and fangs poking over his lip. Kagome gained the overall impression of a vampire. _Looks like he forgot his glitter._ She suppressed a hysterical giggle.

"Koten," Sesshomaru said flatly. Kagome relaxed marginally. If Sesshomaru had bothered to learn his name, he couldn't be _all_ bad.

"Sesshomaru-saidai mao," the demon responded, standing. _He must be one of Sesshomaru's men. _ Kagome was sure he was aware of her presence, but he did not look away from the daiyoukai. "Two more at the castle have died. Four outside of the quarantine have fallen ill." Sesshomaru took so long to respond that Kagome finally spoke up, although she kept everything but her face behind him.

"How many days from the time they showed symptoms until death?" The demon did not respond, and Kagome let out a sound of frustration. "Well?" she growled. The demon blinked, the miko could have sworn his pointed ears twitched, but he did not respond until Sesshomaru gave him a nod.

"Sixteen days for one, seventeen for the other."

"That is slower than for humans…" She trailed off, wondering how many demons would need to be treated and trying to calculate how long it would take her to make more inoculate.

"Return and await this Sesshomaru." The demon turned to go, apparently needing no further explanation.

"Wait!" Koten froze and Sesshomaru stiffened.

"Miko," he said in warning. Kagome rolled her eyes at him.

"Did you come straight from the castle? Or did you go through any villages on the way here?" Koten looked to Sesshomaru for permission before acknowledging that he had avoided any contact and had not stopped on his journey.

"Do the same on your return," Sesshomaru ordered. Kagome gave a small sigh of relief. Hopefully, the risk of infection was minimal. Koten nodded and leapt across the water. He paused there, and looked over his shoulder -

"Pardon, my Lord, how is Rin-yojosan?"

Kagome was surprised at the honorific, but even more so at Sesshomaru's reply. "Rin-yojochan is well. She will return with this one and honored guest." _ Rin is his adopted daughter?_ Kagome's eyes widened as Koten disappeared with a bow and a swirl of leaves and youki. _I am an honored guest of Sesshomaru, first among demon lords?_


	4. Chapter 4

"Please, at least try to be reasonable, Inuyasha," Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose and counted to ten. She expected her friend to object, with extremely foul language, to her plan to travel by air with Sesshomaru and have the others follow on foot. Actually, it had been the daiyoukai's plan, and it hadn't been a plan he proposed so much as the only course of action. It was a good thing Kagome agreed that haste was a priority, because she doubted that Sesshomaru would have done anything differently if she had refused. Unfortunately, Inuyasha hadn't just objected, he outright demanded that she travel with him.

"You ain't goin' with that bastard, and that's final." He crossed his arms, as if the conversation was over. She could feel an eye tick coming on. Inuyasha meant well. He honestly thought that Sesshomaru would not protect her as well as he could, because of the daiyoukai's well-known hatred of humans.

"Inuyasha-" she began, but was cut off.

"What's he gonna do if he's attacked in the air? Keh. Drop you, probably. And what if those snotty assholes at his castle don't like having a human hangin' around their ice prince? He gonna protect you from all of 'em? Or you gonna fend for yourself against a bunch of fuckin' demons?"

"Rin is human, and she seems to get along fine."

"She's a kid, Kagome!" Inuyasha exploded. "They see him bring home a human woman and they'll think he's gonna shame the West like father!" He obviously hadn't intended to say that, but his temper got the better of him. The hanyou's mouth snapped shut and he turned away, face burning. Kagome felt her heart twist for him. She imagined how awful it must be to be hated for something you can't control. Even worse, to think that your own father was disgraced by your birth… She wanted to comfort him, but, unbelievably, Sesshomaru beat her to it.

"All in the West will respect the miko as an honored guest, and as the protector of the Shikon, or they will answer to this one." His voice dropped a few degrees, "Do not presume that this Sesshomaru is no more capable of defending against attacks than yourself. The miko will come to no harm." He turned away, clearly expecting Kagome to follow, and tossed a final, quiet observation over his shoulder. "Inu no Taisho was not shamed by fathering a hanyou. His disgrace was in keeping a concubine, in her father's house, while he remained mated to another."

Kagome's eyes bounced between the two brothers in shock. Inuyasha was still, mouth open and red-faced. Sesshomaru continued to move toward his group with the same measured stride he used for patrolling his lands or stalking prey. She wondered if the demon lord had finally gotten over his hatred of humans. Certainly, he still found them weak and, for the most part, offensive, but his words implied that he had distanced what he felt were the sins of Inuyasha's mother from the entire human race. Kagome tried to imagine how it would have felt, to see your own mother cast aside while your father courted another. And apparently the Dog General had never divorced - if that was a thing demons could do - Sesshomaru's mother, nor had he really legitimized his relationship with Izayoi. Kagome had a lot to consider.

Inuyasha must have been drowning in revelations as well. His brother had all but admitted that he didn't care that Inuyasha was hanyou, and at the same time called their father's honor into question. They both had a lot to consider. Perhaps, when Inuyasha arrived at the castle, the brothers could be convinced to speak further. It could do them both good. Kagome rolled her eyes at the thought and shook herself out of her stupor. She never minded her role as peacemaker, but getting Sesshomaru and Inuyasha to have a calm conversation about their parents was not a task anyone in their right mind would take on.

"As soon as the wall is done, follow us to the West," she hugged her friend impulsively, earning an absent pat on the back from Inuyasha and an irritated 'hn' from Sesshomaru. "I better not keep him waiting." She smiled, and waved to Sango, Miroku, and Kaede before jogging over to her new companions. Shippo and Jaken bookended Rin on Ah-Un. She frowned. She wasn't sure there was room for her, unless Shippo sat on her lap. She picked up her bag and moved towards the dragon.

"Miko," Sesshomaru commanded her attention. "Come here."

"You know, Sesshomaru-_sama_, a 'please' every once in awhile can go a long- _oomph_." He tugged her against him with more force than was necessary. Her irritation at being manhandled won a narrow race with embarrassment from being so close to him. "_Excuse_ me, I-"

"Hold on," he ordered without looking at her. Cool air circled around her leggings, making the thin cotton feel even thinner. She tried to look at her feet, but Sesshomaru's arm kept her secure against his side. She leaned her head back as far as she could, prepared to tell him off, and found that they had risen well above the trees in Inuyasha's forest. She gasped and latched on to Sesshomaru. She gripped his armor with one hand and circled the other around his back, clutching a handful of clothing under his hair. If she hadn't been plastered against him, she might have missed the vibration in his chest. She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you laughing at me, Sesshomaru-_sama_?"

"You are afraid of flying," he observed dryly.

"I've flown lots of times, Sesshomaru," she responded. She squeezed as much sugar into her voice as she could manage. "It isn't the height that bothers me, it's the service." He didn't respond to that, but only stiffened. She sighed, "Try giving me a little warning next time." She had seen Sesshomaru use his cloud before, and it looked substantial enough. She prodded around with the toe of her boot. Sesshomaru shifted, and she almost lost her grip, her foot sinking into what felt like thick mud. He growled, and the heat of his youki warmed her boot and licked along her calf, pushing her feet back into place on the 'ground'.

"Miko," he warned, "be still."

"Right," she laughed shakily. They were far above the land, moving at a pace that whipped her ponytail around her shoulders and stung her cheeks with cold air. "I'll be more careful." She glanced over her shoulder to see the children, securely holding on to each other and Jaken. Both kids were wrapped in the blanket on Ah-Un's back. She shivered, although her front was warm enough where she pressed against the daiyoukai, her back and legs were freezing. Kagome was determined to just bear it, but she didn't have to. A length of white fur draped heavily onto her shoulders and curled around her waist. The end nearly reached her ankles, and it seemed unaffected by the wind. Within moments she was toasty warm. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered. After such an unexpected kindness, the respectful honorific he deserved came easily and without sarcasm.

"Hn."

ooo

Sesshomaru was not one to lie to himself, or shy away from examining uncomfortable issues. He strove for perfection in all things, and had achieved it in most. Ignoring potential weakness or failure was counterproductive. There had been no need to carry the miko. Her weight was nothing to his dragon, even combined with the two children and Jaken. He barely repressed a frown. Others might see his action as bestowing favor on the human woman, or even believe it would tarnish his honor to bear her upon his cloud - acting as her transport. He let out a short breath, almost a snort, although he would never admit to such a sound. He _chose_ to carry her, he could _choose_ not to at any time. The opinions of others were irrelevant. His honor was his own, and if it pleased him to carry the miko, his ward, or the severed heads of his enemies, he would do so.

If those at his castle, or any in the Western Lands, believed he favored the miko, then that was right. It was the truth. Certainly, there was no other human he would allow so close to his person, excepting Rin. Sesshomaru considered his reasons. The miko was apart from, above other humans. She was the Shikon Priestess. She stepped across time. She had a disregard for race that defied every convention he had known of humans or demons. She trusted. Everyone. Everything. Until proven wrong, and sometimes more than once, she trusted others in a way that only a naive child could do. But she was also immensely powerful and did not hesitate to protect her friends, or those she deemed innocent, even if it resulted in death at her hands. She had not flinched when the final blow was needed to destroy Naraku. Now that he understood where she had come from and what the completion of the Shikon had meant for her, and her place in his world, her bravery was more impressive.

He alone decided who was deserving of his favor, and he chose the priestess - the future miko. _Kagome._ The wind whipped through her hair and blew it against his cheek. It brought with it her scent; magnolia and cherry wood with a thread of citrus he knew to be excitement, and the faint, persistent scent of his half-brother. It irritated Sesshomaru - and that did make him frown. She _would_ smell like the hanyou. They were nearly always together, she often rode on his back. Still, he could not shake the prickling anger that the musky scent of Inuyasha, layered over the miko, brought out in him. _Why should his scent not irritate me, as the hanyou himself does?_ That logic was reasonable, but it did not soothe his tension. She shivered, and he became aware of the dropping temperature as they rose higher and the speed of the wind as it passed by. Cold did not affect him as it did others, even other demons, as his immense youki was constantly simmering under the surface. The children had a blanket, but a human woman… She shivered again, and Sesshomaru twitched his mokomoko over her shoulders. The miko was small, the top of her head just below his shoulder, and the white fur was large enough to cover her entirely. It lay across her back, curled around her waist tightly and secured itself against her legs, completely blocking out the cold air.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama," she said quietly. He nodded, acknowledging the appropriate respect in her tone that was absent more often than not.

"Hn." They continued in silence for a time. He was absently aware that she was bored, fidgeting slightly and then stilling once she realized what she was doing before repeating the process. He did not take time to examine the mild amusement her guilty motions inspired in him. Instead, he focused on his senses, guarding against attack from any quarter and monitoring Ah-Un and the dragon's passengers. He kept his youki tightly controlled, as usual, to limit the chances of detection. He was pleased that her reiki was also hidden, although how she managed to contain such massive power with no apparent thought or will was a question he would pursue when the opportunity presented itself. He was just beginning to wonder how much longer she could contain her restlessness when she spoke.

"Sesshomaru-sama," her voice was even, but markedly more formal and polite than he had come to expect from her. It did not bode well. "Would you reconsider my offer to inoculate you?"

"No." He dismissed her medicine as he had done the first time and instead turned his mind to the advancements of her era. She claimed there were many billions of humans in her time. Such healing knowledge would allow them to-

"Sesshomaru," she interrupted his thoughts. This time he could smell her irritation building. Inuzansho pepper. That pleased him. He almost smiled, but held it back. It would not do for her to think that it amused him when she questioned his decisions or actions. "This strain of smallpox is deadly to youkai as well as humans and if you-"

"This Sesshomaru will not succumb to _disease_, miko." His chastisement did not seem to have any effect.

"But I-" He released a ribbon of energy that threaded through the high tail of her hair and wrapped around her neck and shoulders in warning.

"You would do well to remember that the Western Lord is no insignificant demon. This Sesshomaru is daiyoukai, and the poison in these veins is surpassed in power only by the blood alongside it."

"_Hrumph_," she frowned and rolled her eyes at him. "Such ego," she muttered. "I guess if you were going to get sick, it would have probably happened already, since you have been so close to Rin." He knew that the disease would not dare affect him, but he would not disabuse her of her notions if it kept her from foolishly insisting on the medicine. His youki slackened, but he did not withdraw, allowing it to rest against her skin, exposed as it was by her strange unfastened coat and immodestly low-cut shirt. Her future clothes. She brushed one hand against the youki, pressing it against her flesh and sending a breath of her own reiki to travel along the ribbon back to him. Had it been anyone else, the action would have been deliberate and he would have given them painful notice that such displays of power were disrespectful and ineffective.

There was no doubt that the miko did it unconsciously. He was certain that not only would she never think to raise her reiki against him, but that she would be embarrassed if she realized that she had done so. He examined the effects with interest. Once again, he received no hint of purification. A faint, fresh salty scent tantalized him. Gentle warmth, akin to a sunny day, trailed along his own threads of power and washed against his skin like ripples on a pond breaking against a stone. His power rose in response and an eager feeling began to grow. Her reiki matched him, calling his power out and growing in heat and intensity. He slanted his gaze down at her. The miko's eyes were wide and unfocused. Her breathing was slow and deep, her heartbeat heavy. Green light, his energy made visible in its growing magnitude, pulsed between them and her potent, intoxicating purity responded. The hand that clutched the back of his clothing relaxed, her small fingers kneading into his muscles. Her lips parted and her head fell back, exposing her neck. He lowered his head a fraction of an inch, ready to sample her scent and her power closer. Her pulse throbbed under the delicate skin. He was conscious of his fangs, sharp and deadly in his mouth.

Sesshomaru snapped back. His spine straightened and his will hardened like ice over them both, extinguishing the display of...such display. He quickly evaluated their surroundings, which had fallen to the background in his senses. Finding no threats, he corrected their course slightly and took in a deep breath. That was a mistake. Her sweet scent was thick around him, still tinged with excitement but also with a contented lethargy. No trace of her power remained. He glanced down at her to find her eyes nearly closed, her head dangerously close to leaning into his chest.

"Sorry, Sesshomaru," she mumbled. "I must not have slept well last night." Her breath and heartbeat were steady and slow. He suppressed another frown. She was a sharp contrast to the pulse of his own blood and the air that rushed into his lungs. She appeared unaffected, while he was… It merited more consideration, at a time when there was not such dire concerns ahead of them.

As he had told the insufferable hanyou, she was under his protection. He already showed her unique favor and high respect. She would be asleep in moments, if her scent was correct, and he knew it was. Her healing would be less effective if she arrived at the castle exhausted and uncomfortable. He applied gentle pressure to her neck and head, letting her fall against him. The dragon was at his back and none could see her. _My actions are my own,_ he reminded himself. He lifted her under her knees and pulled her close to him, careful of his armor. He would allow her this highly unusual intimacy to better serve his purpose in bringing her to the Western Lands. The uncomfortable knowledge that other motives might lie beneath the surface prickled at him, but he pushed them aside with the promise to himself that he would thoroughly examine his intentions as soon as it was convenient.

He breathed deeply, calmly, and her scent coated his nose. He allowed the relaxing sensation it inspired to work on him. He reasoned that there was no harm, but that he could benefit from a serene mind in the decisions to come. It did not escape his notice that the smell of Inuyasha had been completely washed from her scent, and along with it, his irritation. He better secured his mokomoko around her, and inhaled again cherry wood, magnolia blossoms, and a new thin, stubborn layer of dark, woodsy musk that he recognized with contentment.

ooo

Shippo leaned closer to Rin and pressed his mouth near her ear so that the toad would not hear his whispers. "I can feel his youki," he glanced at Jaken, apparently oblivious to the subtle display of power going on in front of Ah-Un. "You really promise he won't hurt Kagome-mama?"

"Sesshomaru-sama said she was under the protection of the House of the West," she shook her head and her ponytail tickled his nose. "Besides, he doesn't keep things he doesn't want. He just kills them." Both children nodded in complete understanding and acceptance of that grim and undeniable fact. "What does it feel like? Is he upset with Kagome-san?" Rin frowned and looked at her friend with worried eyes. "Sesshomaru-sama likes quiet and Kagome-san can be…"

"Not quiet?" Shippo filled in for her. They both smiled. Shippo concentrated, screwing his eyes closed and trying to assess the Lord without revealing his own small youki in the process. "I don't think he's mad," he said slowly. "He's sort of...tapping her nose? And Kagome is," he frowned, puzzled, "...she's rubbing his ears?" He shook his head and opened his eyes to meet Rin's puzzled gaze.

"You can see all that with your senses?" She glanced forward at her Lord's back. "She doesn't look like she's touching his ears."

"She's not really- look it's-" Shippo sighed, cheeks pink in embarrassment. "Youkai energy can be used to do a lot of things, without really doing them." He concentrated again and let a little bit of demonic power wrap around his friend. It stopped abruptly, and he sagged against her, exhausted from the effort of spying on the adults and trying to show Rin what he meant.

"It's like a pat on the back!" Her eyes were wide with excitement and wonder.

"Yeah, it can be. I'm not very good yet. My mom could use her youki to help me go to sleep at night, or make me feel better when I was sick. When I was naughty," he smiled a little at the memory of a particularly good trick he had played on another kitsune, "my dad could press his youki on me, like a feeling of, of -"

"Disappointment," Rin whispered. She glanced from Shippo to Sesshomaru and the kit nodded. "Sesshomaru did that once. It was awful. Like Rin made him sad and angry and Rin felt bad, bad, bad."

"Yeah," he yawned, barely able to keep his eyes open and not really interested in the adults now that he knew they were getting along. The blanket was warm, Rin's kimono was soft under his cheek, and the gentle rocking motion of the dragon was nice. "He tried to put her in her place, he's a daiyoukai after all, and she settled him down. Ka'ome does it to Inubaka all the time, but not with reiki," another jaw popping yawn interrupted him, "usually. He did somethin' else too, like Father used to do to Mother." He rubbed his nose against her shoulder and let his eyes fall closed. "Imma goin' to sleep now."

"Okay, Shippo-kun," Rin whispered. Shippo didn't even get a chance to acknowledge her before darkness overwhelmed him.

ooo

Sesshomaru debated for a moment whether to let the miko sleep. She had rested peacefully for the majority of the journey. Even as the sun began to descend and afternoon faded she only curled further into him. He decided that she would want to examine those who had fallen ill as soon as she arrived. She would also, no doubt, be foolishly excited to see the castle as they approached.

"Miko," he said quietly. He would have nudged her with his youki, as he often did to wake Rin, but, reminded of their last encounter, he tightened his hands instead, squeezing her knee and ribs where he held her. She mumbled incoherently and pushed her face deeper into his clothing. "Miko," he said again, and this time he jostled her and the mokomoko slid away from her face, allowing cold air to brush across her cheeks.

"Wha?" He glanced down, and was forced to look away again quickly. Her blue eyes were dark and heavy-lidded. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen from sleep. Her soft scent sharpened as she woke up, blinking and trying to make sense of her surroundings. His mask was firmly in place; there was no chance that she or anyone else would see the emotions that he couldn't name and didn't have time to investigate. He relaxed the arm under her knees and she slowly slid into a standing position. He waited for her to wrap her fingers around his armor before he let go completely, focusing on his descent and the rapid approach of the castle. The last, low layer of clouds parted and he did not deny the satisfaction her quiet "oh!" instilled in him. Her scent stirred with excitement and she nearly fell through his cloud again, trying to crane her head to see everything at once. "It's magnificent," she whispered. Sesshomaru felt a surge of pride, entirely deserved, as he tracked the growing number of creatures in proximity, sensed her pleasure and interest, and reviewed his holdings with a critical eye.

The outer moat, a river that had been diverted by his father's father, surrounded the jokamachi. Strategically placed arched bridges connected the town to the rest of the Western Lands. Sesshomaru noted that several new huts had been constructed outside of the moat; he would need to consider expanding his defenses if the village continued to grow. The plateau that formed the town rose sharply to the outer wall and the second moat. The waters there flowed through stone canals and dispersed into aqueducts and narrow stone channels throughout the houses and shops to provide water for the villagers before joining the river. The outer wall was in need of minor repairs and white washing. The disease had disrupted tasks throughout the Western Palace. Sesshomaru felt a ripple of irritation. So far, nothing had been neglected that resulted in more than an unpleasant view. If the defenses suffered… He would not allow that to happen.

He passed over the outer wall and the bailey containing workshops, storage buildings, training spaces and barracks. The inner wall rose to meet the mountain, and Kagome let out a quiet gasp as she saw the political and military heart of the Western Lands. The palace had been built into and of the very rock of the mountains. Tiers of the castle, the topmost layers painted white and resting on storied foundations of stone, dominated the multiple courtyards, gardens, and accessory buildings that made up the inner bailey. Sesshomaru slowed his descent, to give the servants and guards time to prepare for his arrival, and to allow the miko ample opportunity to admire his home.

"Before even Himeji, and so much better," she murmured in awe. Sesshomaru puzzled over her words for a moment, but quickly pushed them aside as his feet touched the stone courtyard and he dismissed his cloud. Ah-Un landed behind him with a snort and servants stepped forward to help the children down. The miko turned to face the small crowd bowing before him, but she did not loosen her hold on the back of his clothing. He caught a brief whiff of anxiety from her, but it was swiftly controlled and replaced with a calm demeanor. That was good. Not all of the demons present could smell her emotions the way he could, but it would be simpler if none viewed her as prey. He did not wish to waste time putting any in their proper place, and killing one of his own, while an efficient means of establishing order, would add to the losses brought by the disease. The miko would not be pleased either.

"Kento," he stated in a cool voice. He did not wait for the inuyoukai to respond or step forward, but continued knowing that the demon was present and awaiting instruction. "Send for the captain, he will wait in the study." Kento gave the briefest motion of his fingers and a younger demon bowed and raced away towards the training grounds. "Report." Again, he did not wait for a response or acknowledge any others, but began striding towards the infirmary. The miko quickly let go of his clothing, and trotted to keep up with him. She nearly tripped over her own feet, and Sesshomaru slowed his pace so that she could walk with more care. He listened with one ear to his secretary's detailing of another death and reports of the progress of the disease in some of his villages. The spread had been halted, at least for a time, by his orders to barricade the roads and discourage travel. The miko asked a few quiet questions, which Kento answered with only slight hesitation. That was good. Those in the castle should recognize her place as his...his… Sesshomaru roughly pushed such thoughts away. She was his guest, and if all went well she would be the savior of many demons.

"Miko," he demanded her attention. She stopped and stared at him, eyes wide and her being taut with focus. "There are healers here who will answer your questions and assist you." He considered her for a moment before lowering his voice. "None here will harm you, if any-" She waved him off, interrupting him again with her rude familiarity.

"I can make my own friends, Sesshomaru." She raised one brow, "Better than you I imagine. Now let's get to work." She clapped her hands together and turned to the closed door, waiting for him to open it for her like a common valet. Kento, no doubt reeling from the disrespectful tone and words of the human, was a beat slow to slide open the door for them.

It was worse than Kento had described. Sesshomaru had prepared himself for the numbers, but not for their suffering. Youkai lay on every futon in the infirmary. A few were seated against the walls and on the covered walkway that led to the apothecary. He swiftly counted eighteen ill. Two healers moved among them, while another knelt close by, tending to a patient. He closed the dead demon's eyes and stood, bowing stiffly and walking with the slow gait of old age and exhaustion.

"My Lord, I fear that-" the healer stiffened, his eyes moving to the miko. He considered her with barely contained hostility. Sesshomaru was torn between an irritated sigh and a more efficient slash of his youki whip. Either would end such ill-advised behavior towards his guest. Instead, he did nothing, hardening his mask and staring at the demon who had worked in the castle infirmary since Sesshomaru was a pup. "Have you brought sustenance for the stricken, my Lord? I had not thought to try human meat, but perhaps-"

"Kento," the miko interrupted calmly as though no one had insinuated that she would be killed and eaten, "have fires built in the courtyard and burn anything these demons have come into contact with - bedding, clothing. Anything else that can be boiled, should. Utensils, pots, jewelry, anything. I need additional help as well, anyone who has survived the illness or shown immunity from it should be brought up here - not inside the building, of course - and-"

"You impertinent little human! How dare you order-"

"Gekien," Sesshomaru reprimanded. The old badger youkai turned red eyes on him and Sesshomaru had to bite back a growl. Allowances would be made, this once, given the healer's age and extreme circumstances. "This Sesshomaru brings an honored guest to better direct your skills. She will command the infirmary." Gekien went pale, then his eyes flashed red. Sesshomaru contained a sigh. Perhaps he should not have so baldly put the miko in charge. He did not have a chance to consider how to soothe the healer, although it was doubtful he would have bothered to do so.

"Human whore!" Spittle flew from Gekien's mouth and his hand raised to strike the miko. Sesshomaru was overtaken by a sudden surge of anger. "You shame this house, but you will not touch my patients!" Faster than any eye watching could see, Sesshomaru stepped in front of the priestess and caught the clawed hand that descended toward her. His grip was iron, and he had to fight against a wellspring of absolute fury. _How dare he presume to touch what is mine? _Dokkuso dripped from his claws and burned away the flesh and meat around the bones in Gekien's wrist. The healer sank to the floor in agony. There was silence in the room, and Sesshomaru was aware of the gossip that would be given birth by his actions. He pushed down both his anger and the wellspring of youki that he had not realized he released. There were several exhalations of relief as the oppressing weight of his power lifted.

"You attack an honored guest of your Lord, Gekien." Under normal circumstances, he would punish such an action immediately. Sesshomaru was uncomfortably aware that if he started, he would find it difficult to stop. There were others present who smelled of distrust and hatred, even under the scents of sickness and fear. He would not allow himself to slaughter those who merely _considered_ action against the miko, simply because he was unable to control himself. He stiffened, dropping his hold on Gekien, and stepped back. The miko bumped into him and he was forced again to endure her scent and the strange sensations it caused while battling with the realization that he had nearly lost control. It was unacceptable. For a moment, Sesshomaru wanted to turn and leave the miko to deal with things on her own. He did not wish to remain in her presence any longer than necessary. Red wood. White blossoms. Anxiety. Determination. "Remove him from this one's sight, Kento. He will be dealt with later." He eyes sought out the downcast face of the senior most healer remaining. "This one leaves the human in command."

He turned and strode back outside, but was unable to avoid glancing at the miko as he passed. She was pale, but her blue eyes were hard with resolve. "Kento, the fires," she commanded. Even as he walked across the courtyard, he could hear her requesting a detailed report of the treatment and condition of each patient. The healers responded with hesitation at first, but growing confidence as they realized her competency. Sesshomaru ordered the first guard he passed to see to Gekien and continued on to his study. There was much to do, and no time to deal with unwanted...thoughts. The list of things that needed to be contemplated in privacy during a more convenient time was rapidly growing. And he still smelled cherry and magnolia.


	5. Chapter 5

_How dare he presume to touch what is mine? _Sesshomaru closed his eyes and willed his headache away. The unbidden thought had circled around inside him throughout the night while he listened to reports and discussed strategy with his captain. He read through the papers that had piled up in his absence and endured the long list of queries that needed his attention. The business of the Western Lands had been interrupted by his trip to Edo, and he worked well into the morning to bring things into order. His workload was more intense than usual, with the additional problems of containing and dealing with the illness, seeking out information on his enemies, and guarding against an increased threat of espionage. It required his focus, but his attention was divided by the memory of the anger and instinctive response he had felt in the infirmary.

_...touch what is mine._ The miko was not his. And yet she was. _Cherry wood._ She did not belong to him, as the servants and soldiers of the castle did. As Rin did. But she was under his protection. She followed his orders. Sesshomaru allowed himself the smallest, briefest smile in the solitude of his study. As long as she agreed with his course of action she followed his orders. The West needed her to combat the disease, and she had agreed to come with him and work to save his people. She travelled with him. She saved Rin. Sesshomaru relaxed a fraction at that thought. He had taken Rin as his ward, but she had become more than that. She was his yojo, his adopted daughter. She was his pack. Not just the larger, political use of the term that, for a daiyoukai, included so many personal servants, close advisors, strong allies, and military vassals. Rin was his family. He did not have many who could be included in that intimate group, usually reserved for children and spouses, and sometimes expanded to include siblings and parents.

Even if he brought his extended pack into one room, there would still be only four, including him. Another small smile flitted across Sesshomaru's face. Such an event might be humorous, in another time. Of course, putting his mother, Kimi, and Inuyasha into the same room would be disastrous for the room...and in all probability for his half-brother as well. He had admitted long ago, only to himself, that he did not outright kill Inuyasha because of the size of that pack. Inu were intended to have large families, and although Sesshomaru had never had any inclination to take a mate and sire pups of his own, he still acknowledged the instinctual need to provide for others - to have a pack. It was why he had, eventually, come to think of Rin as a ward rather than an insufferably cheerful burr. And then as a daughter. It was why he had felt a moment of regret when Inuyasha had transformed Tessaiga and cut off his arm. Not for the loss of the arm, which was unfortunate, or of the Fang, which was galling and infuriating, but for the knowledge that he could have taken the sword if he had delivered a killing blow. He stayed his jaws, but it was a near thing. Constantly taunting the hanyou was amusing, and it vented some of the anger he still felt towards Inu no Tashio - but could not express to a dead man. By sparring with his half-brother and then fighting and travelling alongside him, Sesshomaru had begun to call him pack - at least to himself.

He wasn't planning on inviting the hanyou to sit on his council anytime soon, but he would regret Inuyasha's death if it were to occur. He was not even overly irritated by the knowledge that Inuyasha would arrive at the castle soon. He would be a nuisance until the miko put him in his place, and then he would be both irritating and amusing. Sesshomaru intended to put him to use on the training grounds. His half-brother's skills were still inferior to his own, but the pup had become a decent sparring partner and he would give a new challenge to many of the soldiers. Perhaps even to some of the officers.

The miko had been part of Inuyasha's unconventional pack for several years, but… _Magnolia. _Sesshomaru shook his head at the mild irritation that sparked by labeling her Inuyasha's. He did not have any possessive thoughts of the slayer woman or the monk who travelled with his sibling. The kit he would protect, but that was right as he was a child and his injury or death would pain Rin. No, he had claim to the miko because of what she meant to Rin. She had healed his daughter, given her life. That was significant, and worthy of a place in his political pack. Her many attributes, her strength, also made her an excellent addition to those who surrounded him and added to the status of the West. He frowned, not bothering to conceal the emotion in the empty room. She was more than that, he knew. _...what is mine…_ He had overreacted to Gekien's words and actions, melting the respected healer's arm for an attempted strike - one that the miko could have dodged or purified if she chose, but he had not given her the opportunity to react. That instinct, that possessive, feral need to see her protected, respected, honored. Even to smell no other scent on her. _Sweet citrus. Spicy pepper._ He wanted to rip the turbulent emotions and confused thoughts from his body. He could not seem to find order in that chaos, to make straight, uncomplicated reasoning out of the winding, twisty contentment, heat, irritation, pride, amusement and almost..._delightful_ surprises she created in him. And she-

He snapped his teeth in aggravation. _Where the hell is that scent coming from?_ He surged out of his chair and paced the room, ignoring the stiffness in his limbs. It was unbelievable that even the verbiage of his internal monologue had devolved into uncontrolled thought because of her, his nose steadily tantalized by her scent regardless of where he moved. He knew she was still in the infirmary, by the whispers of the servants and guards, and his own careful probing with his youki. Still, he was distracted by that scent. It was sweet and soothing and _frustrating_. He braced one hand against the wooden shelves that stored his scrolls and gave in for a moment to exhaustion, of body and of mind. His head ached and he felt a rare weariness in his muscles and joints. He leaned his forehead against his arm and willed himself to calm down and focus on the task at hand, taking a deep breath.

_New. Sweet. A cherry tree freshly cut. White silken petals, barely open and heavy with dew. Satsuma oranges._

Sesshomaru raked his own claws down the shelf in a rare of display of anger. He strode from the study towards his chamber and private bath, berating himself for his complete and utter inattention to the obvious. He had held her for hours while she slept. His clothes were infused with her scent. He shut the shoji screen behind him with a snap - surprising the servant who had scampered to attend his needs. He disrobed quickly and resolutely left the clothing in a pile on the floor for laundering. He would not allow her to distract him further.

ooo

"Thank you," Rin said politely to the servant who set out a lunch tray for the children. Jaken had disappeared as soon as they arrived at the Castle; Rin said he had to make certain the other servants hadn't been slacking their duties while he was away. Shippo echoed her gratitude and waited until the screen shut and he could no longer hear anyone near them before he continued their conversation.

"And Sesshomaru gave you these rooms?" Shippo had been unable to sleep in the large chamber that had been set aside for Kagome and him. Without her there, the strangeness of the castle and the opulence of the room kept him awake. By the time it was truly dark, he had slipped out and, very conscious of Sesshomaru's strict orders to not bother Kagome and to stay in the castle, he followed his nose to Rin's room. He spent the night on the piled cushions intended for the table in her anteroom, comforted that he at least knew someone nearby. When she woke, she greeted him happily and shared the breakfast her servant brought. They had played in the little garden outside until she grew tired, but Shippo still had many questions.

"Of course! Sesshomaru-sama takes very good care of Rin." While she poured tea, Shippo glanced through the open screen to the raised futon, piled with expensive bedding, and the ornate lacquered cabinet that held her clothes. Usually, when he saw her travelling, she wore a simple orange checkered kimono. At the castle, she wore a much finer cloth, in solid orange with a white branch of blossoms at the shoulder. Intricate petals cascaded down towards the hem. Her hair, too, had been affected by the formality of the castle. Servants had smoothed it into a simple bun and an ornamented comb held it in place.

"But, I mean, you're…" He hesitated. _He_ didn't care that Rin was human. Kagome was human, and she had saved him and treated him like her own son. He played with lots of human kids in Edo. But Shippo wasn't naive. He knew that most demons found humans diverting, at best, and at worst thought of them as food or killing sport. Sesshomaru seemed to fit somewhere in between, disgusted by an 'inferior' species but not bothered to do anything about it. Sure, he let Rin follow him around, but he didn't play with her or really acknowledge her.

"Human?" Rin asked sweetly. Her big brown eyes blinked and she smiled. Shippo knew he was blushing in shame.

"Yeah, I guess." He wanted to fall through the floor, but she was being so nice about it.

"Sesshomaru-sama doesn't really care about human or demon. He just doesn't like creatures that have no honor, or that serve no purpose." She puffed up with pride, and Shippo could tell she was repeating something she had heard her Lord say. "Rin is just a pup, but when Rin grows up she will have a purpose and she will bring honor to the West."

"They call you yojosan," he said quietly.

"Hn. Rin has been adopted by Sesshomaru-sama." Her eyes got a far-away look and she radiated happiness. "It was the most wonderful, most amazing, most happy thing ever!" She dished out rice and meat and handed a bowl to Shippo.

"So he- he loves you?" Shippo bit his lip, wondering if he was asking something too personal. He knew from experience, searching for the shards, that adults did not often like personal questions. Rin wasn't an adult, she certainly didn't act like one, but by human standards she was getting close.

"Of course," she said with absolute conviction. She settled onto her own cushion and pulled a bowl of food towards her. She waved her chopsticks in the air, "Sesshomaru-sama is not...not…" she frowned searching for the right words, "...huggy, like Kagome-san. But he loves Rin. He pats Rin's head when Rin does a good job, and he lets Rin hug him sometimes when Rin is sad. Rin's Lord will kill anyone who tries to take her away or harm her. He will not allow anyone to speak badly of Rin." Her voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper, "Rin thinks he might have even threatened everyone not to _think_ badly of Rin." She winked at him, and Shippo felt all of his tension ease away. Despite her weird talk, which he thought she might have picked up from Sesshomaru, Rin was very much like Kagome. She loved without reservations and liked almost everyone. Even the people she didn't like, Kouga came to mind, she didn't want to see hurt or dead. If Sesshomaru could make Rin part of his family, then Shippo didn't have to worry that the daiyoukai would hurt Kagome.

"Your secret plan-" Shippo was cut off by a loud shush. Rin's eyes darted around comically, as if she expected spies to pop out of the silk hangings or from under the tatami mats.

"Demons have much better hearing, Shippo," she admonished.

"Really?" He pointed to his ears and laughed. Rin quickly joined in. "There isn't anyone nearby, Rin, I promise."

"Hn." She nodded. "Rin thinks that it will work. Sesshomaru-sama needs to be distracted, so he doesn't have time to think so much. But he can't be rushed."

"I don't think you can do both of those things, Rin." Shippo frowned and ate quietly for a few moments.

"Not Rin," she said finally, setting down her empty bowl. Shippo took a second helping while she settled in to explain the finer points to him. "Kagome-san. She is so wonderful, she can do it all on her own. Rin and Shippo just need to help a tiny bit." Shippo agreed that Kagome was the best, but he still wasn't sure that Rin had really thought things through. "It will be perfect, Shippo-kun. You will see. And then Rin can have Sesshomaru-sama, _and_ Kagome-san, _and_ Shippo-kun! There will be pats _and_ cuddles! Doesn't Shippo-kun want Kagome-san, Rin, and Sesshomaru-sama?" Shippo wasn't sure what she meant about pats and cuddles, but he was definitely sure he liked the idea of Kagome having an easier life and more time to play with him. He wanted to be with Rin more, too. However, Sesshomaru…

"Keh," he responded non-committedly, and settled in to finish his lunch and listen to Rin work out the details.

ooo

Kagome was exhausted. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to do anything about it, her brain didn't even have time to worry about how her legs felt like jelly and her arms like wet noodles. Her back ached, her shoulders burned, her eyes felt like they were full of sand. She didn't have time for any of that. She had to talk to Sesshomaru.

"If only I had a microscope," she muttered to herself. She had thought seriously about bringing one, she really had, but the only one with good magnification she could get her hands on with short notice had weighed a ton. She hadn't thought she would need it so badly.

"Kagome-isha, please, you must rest."

Kagome looked up blearily from the notes she had made to stare at the healer, the isha, who had gained seniority when Gekien was...dismissed. His black hair hung over his forehead and once he had warmed up to her, she found out he was a relative of Kento. A little over half of the demons at the castle were inuyoukai, if the patients and those who reported to her summons for help were any indication. She smiled warmly and glanced over the infirmary. Six more patients had come in since she had arrived. The spread of the disease was gaining speed. None had died, yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. The inoculation she prepared from the scabbed over rashes of the sick could only be made so quickly. And then it had to be administered, and she only trusted herself to oversee a few she had personally trained to do so. Then there was the eradication of the virus within the castle and the surrounding town. And of course the villages that had been infected.

Despite the modern treatment methods to ease the symptoms of those already sick, they would still have to fight off the disease on their own if they were too far along for inoculation. She double checked the figures she had written in her notes against the medical text from her era. Sometime around when she should have had lunch, she had given up on trying to hide her books and set them right out on the table. She was providing medical treatment that wouldn't be discovered for four hundred years, to _demons,_ for a disease that the 'one eyed-dragon' daimyo would barely survive - and he hadn't even been born yet. Hiding her own knowledge seemed irrelevant.

More important was the virulence of the disease. The smallpox in her textbooks took twenty days to complete its cycle. Although the symptoms she had seen were congruent with the more deadly form of hemorrhagic smallpox, modern doctors reported that type in only two percent of cases. Every demon she had seen with the disease had developed bleeding under the skin and black colored pox, which should almost always be fatal. She would have guessed that it would affect fewer demons than humans, but according to Kento's reports, the opposite was true. And although the humans progressed faster, not a single demon that had been infected had survived. There was something wrong with this epidemic.

She needed a microscope. And a couple thousand doses of _real _vaccine. And a ventilator, or five. And saline bags. And an actual medical degree. Kagome sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed a lot of things she couldn't have at the moment. The one thing she needed that was available, she hadn't had much luck with either.

"Thank you for worrying over me, Jun-san. Has a response to my request arrived yet?"

"No, Kagome-isha." His oddly silver eyes narrowed with concern.

"Damn that man, and his ego. What the hell, Sesshomaru, _what the hell_ could be more important than-" Kagome's impassioned tirade was cut off.

"Shhh, not so loud, Kagome-isha," he waved his hands and nodded to the few curious and shocked patients that looked their way. "You mustn't speak so about Sesshomaru-saidai mao." He paused, and lowered his voice further, "My cousin said that he has not taken any meals, and only emerged from his study to bathe at midday. No requests for entry have been acknowledged since he returned to his study to continue working."

Kagome glanced at the rice paper shoji screens. They were dark. She frowned, she hadn't realized it was night already. "Is that usual?"

"It is not..._un_usual, Kagome-isha. But," he hesitated again, and Kagome found her impatience giving way to concern, "Sesshomaru-sama spent all morning with his advisors. He had additional meetings scheduled for this afternoon, but he turned down several and then stopped responding to requests altogether."

Kagome stood, removing the stained, long-sleeved apron that covered her wrinkled clothes. She ignored the way Jun averted his gaze, and the way many of the coherent patients did not, when her modern attire was revealed. She shoved her books and notes into her bag and marched toward the entrance, the healer trailing behind. "You mustn't leave, Kagome-isha. Kento has said that the infirmary is guarded until Sesshomaru-sama escorts you out himself."

"He put me under house arrest?" She stopped and turned narrow eyes on Jun. _That arrogant, high-handed demonic…_

"No, no! It is for your safety, so that any who have not heard of your honorable station," his voice dropped to a low murmur, "or of Gekien's punishment, will not bother you. It is also a measure of the quarantine Kento said you requested," he added as an afterthought.

_Safety my ass_, Kagome thought in fury. Her anger died a quick death when she remembered why she had decided to go see Sesshomaru, summons or not. "I can take care of myself, Jun-san. I'm stronger than I look." She pulled open the screen and stepped out, leaving the healer's skeptical expression behind. "Keep the treatment up until I return and make note of any changes." She shut the screen and was confronted by two rather large youkai. Both had a strange, ruffled hairdo that was reminiscent of a mohawk and stoic expressions.

"Kagome-isha," they spoke in unison. They bowed shallowly and stood, one facing in, the other out, barring her way into the courtyard.

"Gentlemen," she said sweetly, "thank you so much for your dedication to protecting the residents of the castle from this terrible sickness." She bowed, deeply, and the one facing her seemed taken-aback by her show of respect. "As the one in charge of healing these peo- err, demons, I must report my progress to Sesshomaru-sama. Please summon someone to escort me, or direct me to his study?" She smiled, but her only response was a puzzled glance shared by the guards.

"We cannot allow you passage, Kagome-isha." She could feel her temper beginning to get the better of her, and she knew that as tired as she was, she would have more trouble controlling herself if her anger got the better of her. Whatever kind of youkai the guards were, they could obviously sense her changing mood, because they stiffened and both faced her, hands on their weapons. "Please return inside, most honored guest of Sesshomaru-saidai mao." She opened her mouth to argue, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Kento. His race across the courtyard had been nearly invisible in the darkness, and he left a breeze in his wake that stirred the hair of the guards and made Kagome's overshirt billow behind her.

"Kagome-isha," he bowed deeply. "I have come to escort you to Sesshomaru-sama." He turned to the guards without waiting for a response. "The guest of Sesshomaru-saidai mao will return soon. None but the sick shall enter until that time." He waved at her to walk in front of him, and they were several steps away from the courtyard before Kagome realized what had happened.

"Sesshomaru didn't send for me, did he?"

"I am certain he would have, had he read your notes. Any of them. Or all nine." Kagome glanced over her shoulder, rolling her eyes and waiting for him to indicate which way to go. She found the formal practice of leading a more high-ranking individual by following them ridiculous. As was the notion that she was higher-ranking than the personal… _messenger? secretary? bodyguard? valet?_ ...servant to the highest demon lord.

"They were important," she defended herself mildly, feeling a little silly, once she was no longer stuck in the infirmary, for troubling Sesshomaru so many times. Although, her concerns about the disease certainly weren't silly. Nor was her reason for going to the daiyoukai without an invitation. "Your arrival was very serendipitous. I was just getting ready to go to Sesshomaru myself."

"That would not have been wise, Kagome-isha. If Jun had not alerted me to the situation, the guards might have executed their duty and detained you. It would have been most embarrassing for you." She couldn't see his expression well in the dark, but she could hear the disapproval in his voice.

"They could have tried," she corrected, "and it would have been embarrassing for them. So, how did Jun contact you so quickly?"

"The males in our line have alternative means of communication," he answered shortly. "To your left, Isha." He didn't seem willing to speak after that, and Kagome worried for a few minutes that she had broken some social rule. Those concerns were gradually replaced by thoughts of the illness. She needed to alert Sesshomaru. They would need help if they were going to save even half of the demons that were infected, and it would be another three weeks before the well would allow her to return to her time. The delay was unthinkable. A wave of sadness washed over her. So many would die.

"Kagome-isha?" She turned, pulled out of her thoughts by Kento. He was staring at her with a puzzled look. "Are you...unwell?"

"I'll be fine - once I can speak with Sesshomaru," she responded with a strained smile. "Perhaps it would be faster if you took the lead?" His hesitation was obvious, but finally he stepped in front of her and they began moving at a much faster pace. She was breathing heavily and almost trotting to keep up as they entered the main castle building and turned down a long corridor. There was only indirect lighting on their path and Kagome had to concentrate to keep from falling as they climbed numerous stairs. "Jun said - he said Sess-ho-maru," she gulped and pressed a stitch in her side, but did not dare stop the near-race through the castle. "He said Sesshomaru, uh, wasn't answering anyone?"

"He should not have repeated that," Kento said tightly. He picked up the pace and Kagome did her best not to groan as she had to break into a jog to keep up. "Sesshomaru-sama has much work to do. If he does not wish to be interrupted, we will respect that. You may request entry, but if he does not accede, you will return to your room, or to the infirmary."

"But, isn't- huh - why, wouldn't- he- just- say- to leave - him - alone?" She was panting, and so worried about tripping on her own feet that she slammed into Kento's back when he stopped suddenly.

"He would," the demon conceded. He searched her face, which she knew was probably red and sweaty, but whatever else he found made him draw his brows together with concern. "You are worried for Sesshomaru-sama." He hadn't phrased it as a question, but Kagome confirmed it anyhow.

"Of course I am. He refused to be inoculated, the egotistical- oh!" They were off again, this time Kento practically carrying her across the floor in his speed. She didn't even have time to protest his claws digging painfully into her upper arms before he stopped. The corridor widened before them into a cavernous space with cushions along two walls and a long, low table covered in neat stacks of paper and pots of ink. The table was centered in front of a pair of painted sliding doors. Kagome was certain that the colored ink depictions of great dogs and intricate landscapes were magnificent, but she was distracted by the row of demons seated on either side of the doors. Servants kneeled next to soldiers. What she guessed was an administrator, by his dress, sat next to a powerful military demon. That one was closest to the door, and his eyes bore into Kagome. She swallowed back a sound of surprise and turned to Kento, her mouth open in question.

"Sesshomaru-sama had many who waited to see him today." He conceded another point at her raised brow, "And they worried as well." He led her to the doors, and the demon there stood, his clothing rustling quietly against his sword.

"Take the human away, Kento-san."

"She seeks audience with Sesshomaru-sama," Kento bowed shallowly and the demon curled back his lip, baring his teeth.

"When Sesshomaru-saidai mao allows entry, _you_ may request her...audience." Kagome didn't like the way he drew out the word, as if it left a foul taste in his mouth. "Until then, she can-"

"_She_ can do as she pleases, Captain-san," Kagome bit out. "And she pleases to speak with Sesshomaru-sama."

"What is the meaning of this insolence?" He bristled, and Kagome felt a stirring of youki from him. Several others in the room responded to his aggression, their youki rising as well.

"I am the honored guest of the West, and I will speak only to Sesshomaru-sama." Kagome kept her back straight and her expression cold, she knew she couldn't back down. At the same time, she was struggling to keep her reiki from responding to the threat the captain posed.

"_Honored? _You dare to presume that our Lord would hold you above others? That he would grant you favor when he has-"

"What is the harm in trying, Hisao-san?" Kento said smoothly. "Perhaps she will learn her place?" Kagome turned to give him a piece of her mind. _My place, indeed!_ But the military demon snorted and waved her past him.

"Yes, yes, show us how Sesshomaru-saidai mao values your counsel," he mocked her. Kagome had never been known for her even temper, and it had been a very, very long day. She was tired, dirty, sweaty from her run across the castle, and worried about the disease. On top of that, if Sesshomaru hadn't accidentally dropped a bookshelf on himself, preventing speaking or moving, he was going to get an earful for ignoring her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered that she was supposed to be afraid of strange, powerful demons. Some far corner of her brain whispered that she was in an unfamiliar and formal setting that could be very, very dangerous. There were too many other emotions pressing for her attention to give fear a chance to take hold.

"Keh." It was all she could do to snap her mouth shut before she said something she would probably regret later - and Sesshomaru would most definitely not be pleased if she spoke what was on her mind in that moment. Kagome strode past Hisao and rapped on the wooden frame of the shoji screen. "Sesshomaru-sama," she called. Her knuckles felt warm. She could feel the pulse of an immense youki, barely contained within the room and fluctuating wildly. She frowned. That was unlike Sesshomaru. She raised her hand again and pressed it against the pristine paper.

"Oh, no, Isha," called one of the servants, no doubt fearing she would leave smudges on the rice paper. Kagome ignored her. It _was_ Sesshomaru inside, and he was alone as far as she could tell, but his energy…

"That is enough, woman," Hisao taunted. "We see how far your honor-" He was interrupted by an blast of youki. Kagome stood stock still with her eyes closed while green light exploded into the room. Several of the demons behind her cried out. Even Hisao grunted under the heavy weight of his Lord's power. Kento fell to one knee, breathing heavily. A magical wind blew through the room, drying the sweat on Kagome's skin and blowing her clothing and ponytail out behind her. It washed over her, leaving the taste of cloves and the scent of damp earth and dark woods. The heat was intense, but not unpleasant. It was gone again as soon as it had come, leaving her shivering and the demons sighing in relief. _He might not like the interruption, but that was overkill, even for Sesshomaru. _She shivered again and squared her shoulders, grabbing onto the handle to tug the screen open.

"Kagome-isha," Kento called out at the same time that Hisao snarled and reached for her arm.

"Woman!"

Kagome ignored them both and hauled on the door. True to the perfection she was sure Sesshomaru demanded of his home, the screen slid silently and smoothly. It was designed to open with little effort, and Kagome's exuberance caused it to fly down the track and bounce back against the wall. Only Kento's quick movement stopped it from hitting her on its return trip. In silence, Kagome stared at Sesshomaru. He was seated at the far end of the room, legs crossed underneath a low table spread with papers and scrolls. His head was bowed forward slightly, his hair cascaded over his shoulders to conceal his face. She would have thought he was deep in thought, if not for the claws he had embedded in the surface of the table.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" She spoke softly as she stepped into the room, barely ducking Hisao's restraining hand but unable to avoid the rake of his claws which drew lines of heat and dull pain across her shoulder. Another wave of youki blasted across the room. It lifted Sesshomaru's hair in its fury and threw Hisao back from the doorway. Kagome pushed on. She felt like she was moving through water; the air pressed against her and then gave, allowing her passage. "Sesshomaru," she whispered, knowing his ears would easily pick up the quiet word. Other ears did as well. There were gasps of outrage and horror. Hisao, who had recovered his feet quickly, if not his pride, cursed her lack of respect and threatened to end the disgrace she brought to the Saidai Mao and the West. The youki pouring off Sesshomaru intensified. Hisao was forced into silence, struggling against his Lord's power. Others were pushed prostrate on the floor or managed to flee the outer room to avoid the near-agony caused by his energy.

Kagome could feel her reiki rising to the surface, and she tried to tamp it down. Fear blossomed as she imagined how harmful it could be to Sesshomaru in his...condition... if he was hit with purification. Unfortunately, fear often triggered her reiki outside of her will, and a few wisps of power escaped her before she could lock them down. They curled forward, invisible, but she could feel the way they swam across and through the ocean of Sesshomaru's youki. Seemingly finding a current, her holy energy gained speed and raced to the Western Lord. It hit him like a strong breeze, blowing his hair back from his face. His head lifted, and Kagome forgot all sense of self-preservation and rushed to him.

"Sesshomaru," she cried. His eyes were completely red, but she had seen that before and it didn't frighten her. The sour twist of terror squeezing her lungs and heart was brought on by the sickly clouds that glazed those red eyes. His pale, perfect skin was flushed pink, and on his hands… Kagome had her arm behind his shoulders and her free hand pressed against his cheek, trying to cool his fever. A rumble of warning started in his throat, but it silenced suddenly and he vibrated with repressed coughs. He did not turn to look at her, but stared straight ahead at the open door. "It's okay, Sesshomaru, I'm here. I have my medicine," she whispered to him. She reached out gently with her reiki, trying to determine why he was losing control of his youki. Heat circled around his joints, pooling in his knees, hips, and shoulders. She imagined it would be almost impossible for him to straighten away from the table, much less walk. She stroked his cheek again, brushing down his marking to his lips, trying to get him to open so she could examine him. He bared his teeth slightly, but did not relent. She could sense the pain in his throat and mouth. "Shhh, let me help you." He did not relax, and his claws dug into the table further.

"Kento-san," she called quietly, "I need you to help me." When the inuyoukai did not immediately respond she snapped, "Now, Kento." She heard a hesitant footstep, and then nothing. "Your Lord needs you, move your ass," she commanded in a furious whisper.

"I- I cannot, Isha. His youki-"

She glanced away from Sesshomaru to see Kento doubled over, gasping at his chest. _Of course he would come in if he could, idiot. He wants to help his Lord._ Kagome wondered why it didn't seem to bother her the way it did the demons, but she didn't have time - Sesshomaru didn't have time. "Sorry, Kento-san," she said quietly. She turned back to Sesshomaru and pressed both of her hands against his cheeks, moving her face to block his view of anything but her. "You have to let them in, Sesshomaru. They are loyal to you, they will help." He was unresponsive, and Kagome dragged her fingertips down his stripes, gripping his jaw and finally drawing his eyes to focus on her. "I will save you, Sesshomaru, I swear it. Or I will die trying, but I need their help." She held her breath, and after a long moment he blinked. The thick youki around her eased, and there was a collective sigh of relief from the antechamber. Kento was at Sesshomaru's opposite side in an instant. "We need to move him somewhere comfortable." The press of curious, worried eyes behind her made her add, "And private."

"Isha," Kento started, and she turned to see what was wrong. The inu had wrapped both hands around Sesshomaru's silk-clad wrist, but he was unable to dislodge the daiyoukai's claws.

"You have to let go," she whispered, easing back from Sesshomaru's face to his side. She dropped one hand to his arm and smoothed along his sleeve to his hand. She did not flinch when her fingers met the flat bumps of the rash marring the smooth skin there, but she could feel a bottomless pit of sadness and anger threatening to overwhelm her. She slammed a mental door on those emotions and tucked her fingers between his thumb and first finger, holding his hand firmly. She slipped her other hand behind his neck and cupped the back of his head. "I've got you, Sesshomaru." Her voice was so low, she doubted any other than the Lord and Kento could hear her. "Let go, I have you." Another vibration wracked his body and youki threatened to escape for a moment. Then his eyes slid closed and his muscles relaxed. His claws pulled from the wood with a horrible tearing sound and flying splinters. He sagged back, and Kagome barely had time to wedge her shoulder behind him to keep him from hitting the floor.

"Hisao, get something to carry him on," she ordered. The captain did not respond to her, but sent servants racing to bring what she requested. The demon himself appeared next to her with a wide board, long enough for even Sesshomaru's tall frame and fitted with rope handles at each end. Kento helped her lay him back and despite his bulk he slid easily, smooth silk on polished wood, to fit on the stretcher. Each male took one end and lifted the daiyoukai's weight easily. Kagome walked beside them, throwing stern orders to the servants that trailed them. She sent them for hot and cool water, clean cloths, and anything else she could think of to get them away. She only tried to pull her hand back once, and she decided it was a positive sign that he had the strength to keep his grip firm. _Please, kami, let that be a good sign._


	6. Chapter 6

"Help me disrobe him," Kagome ordered.

"But, Isha, no, we must not-" The horrified look on the servant's face made Kagome want to slap her. Sesshomaru had been unconscious since his collapse in his study, but his fever had grown noticeably higher in the twenty minutes or so it had taken them to carry him to his room and arrange him on the raised futon. Kagome had taken his vitals, although she still couldn't get his mouth open, and she wasn't encouraged. The servant might have had some sort of feminine hesitation, or perhaps she was properly aghast at the thought of a human touching her Lord, but Kagome did not have the patience to deal with either.

"Help or get out, but don't question me again." Her voice was cold, she knew, but it was the only way she could contain her emotions. Professional. Calm. In control. The demon girl sputtered, but she backed away, eyes wide and fearful. Kagome turned back to the task at hand when the shoji screen shut behind her. "Kento, I need your help." Sesshomaru's assistant knelt at the opposite end of the futon, carefully removing his Lord's boots. Kagome went to work on his obi in silence, ordering her thoughts and running through the tasks ahead of her over and over.

"You shouldn't be too harsh with her, Kagome-isha," Kento spoke quietly as he set the boots and Chinese-style socks aside. He continued as though she had expressed interest. "It is not customary for Sesshomaru-sama to receive assistance with something so personal as disrobing. He is a very private individual. You do not know much of inuyoukai, do you? Most adults would find undressing in front of anyone outside of their close pack highly inappropriate. For a woman, a human woman, to purposefully see the Saidai Mao in such a state-"

"Help me roll him," she interrupted. Kento kept up a droning monologue regarding the nature and composition of packs and the hierarchy of inuyoukai society. Kagome found his babble comforting, it helped ease her anxiety and clear her mind. They managed to get his haori and kosode off, one arm at a time, but Kagome turned discretely to dig through her bag while Kento removed his pants. She worried that she would be too embarrassed to care for a naked Sesshomaru, but that concern disappeared the instant she turned back to him. Flat, dark red, almost black, lesions coated his hands and feet, growing more sparse and widely spaced as they ascended his arms and legs. Only a small patch of the rash marred the pale flesh on his chest. His markings...she of course, had known that they were not only on his face. She had caught glimpses of his wrists on more than one occasion. Completely naked, the same jagged purple-red lines undercut his collarbones and wrapped around each hip and thigh. At any other time, she would have been torn between stark admiration and acute mortification. Looking at the hard muscle and smooth skin, the exotic coloring...she felt sick. Nauseated that something so small as a virus could bring low the Killing Perfection. Grief-stricken that such beauty could be so quickly blighted. Furious that she had not forced him to take the inoculation. Furious that he could not see any way other than his own. Furious that she had only just begun to know him and he could-

"He needs to be washed and then kept warm. Get the cloths ready." She reached into her bag for the bifurcated needle and tiny bottle from the future. She ignored Kento's sounds of concern, and filled the syringe with the last dose of real, modern vaccine she had. She smoothed one hand along the skin of his upper arm, holding his hand and forcing it smooth to make the muscle relax. Just as she had practiced in her nursing lab, she angled the needle and pressed down.

_Snap._

Kagome stared at her hand in disbelief. She still held the syringe...with about a half-inch of metal attached to the end. The rest of the needle had broken off and pinged onto the wooden floor. A few precious drops of medicine dripped out and splattered onto Sesshomaru's skin. _But it worked on Inuyasha, and Shippo…_ Inuyasha was only half-demon, and Shippo was just a kit, still growing into his youkai power and strength. Sesshomaru was...he was the strongest, the first demon lord. Dumbly, she wondered why she had ever thought that a steel rod, less than four millimeters thick, would be able to pierce his skin. She heard Kento calling her name, but the only coherent thought she could manage was: _Fuck_.

Kagome shook herself. She had been with Inuyasha too long if she sat around cursing instead of using her head to think of a solution. "Send someone to Jun-san, get me the inoculate we made earlier today. Two doses." Kento left her to step outside, closing the door behind him. Kagome listened to him send someone for supplies and then give orders to the other servants who had gathered outside. She stayed busy, methodically wiping Sesshomaru's skin with hot water and then patting him dry. She was careful not to disturb the rash. She knew that it was more likely to scar if the lesions were broken, and she couldn't imagine Sesshomaru not being...perfect. She was covering him with a silk sheet and several layers of bedding when Kento returned.

"Burn those," she nodded to the clothes and shoes they had removed. Carefully, she picked up his mokomoko and curled it on the floor beside her. She would have to wash it again, and hope that would be enough to kill any viruses that might be living in the fur. Sesshomaru had been outraged - as outraged as he ever was, which meant he frowned, deeply - when she suggested boiling it while Rin was ill. She was determined if - when - he woke up she would tease him that she had gone ahead and done it. "I have to look at his throat. Help me open his mouth." Kento obliged, gripping Sesshomaru's lower jaw and applying brute force. Kagome finally stopped him when she was afraid he would bruise the daiyoukai before it worked. She stroked Sesshomaru's markings absently while she tried to think of a way to get him to relax his jaw. Kento had warned her that holding his nose would result in either bared fangs or a bite, maybe both. She ran her thumb across his lower lip, revealing the sharp canines.

"Just open a bit," she whispered to herself. "I know it hurts, but I can make it better." She turned back to her bag, prepared to use a straw to force crushed ibuprofen and water into his mouth, when Kento drew her attention. Sesshomaru's eyes were open. They were more pink than red, but still glazed. He did not turn his head, but his gaze slid to hers. He considered her for a moment, then he opened his mouth - about two inches. She smiled. "Good enough. Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." She grabbed her flashlight and tongue depressor, the former which shocked Kento, the latter displeased Sesshomaru. It was difficult to see past the wealth of white implements of death, but she had no trouble making out the pox coating his tongue, inner cheeks, and so thick on the walls of his throat it was a miracle he could still breath. "Thank goodness," she whispered, "Don't try to talk, Sesshomaru." He gave her a look which clearly indicated that she was an idiot. "Right, of course you won't. I'm going to give you some medicine from my ti-" she glanced at Kento and hastily corrected, "from my home. I haven't treated a full-demon before, so I am going to double the amount I give Inuyasha. If that sounds okay, please blink." His eyes slowly closed and opened again, and she let out a relieved breath. "Alright. I know this is going to hurt, but you absolutely must swallow." She waited again for his blink and then poured a cup of hot tea. She crushed six pills inside a clean cloth and dumped the dust into the tea.

"Don't try to sit up on your own," she moved behind his head and ignored the insulted glare he gave her. She brushed his hair to one side and pulled his head into her lap, using one hand to help him lean up and the other to hold the cup. He tried to lift his own hands to take the tea from her, but the flare of his youki and the sharp widening of his eyes revealed how painful the motion was. "Next time, follow your doctor's orders," she chided. He took a few shallow breaths, and then she held the cup to his mouth. His slow, exaggerated swallows caused empathetic pangs of pain in her. He finally finished the drink and his head slumped back onto her lap.

"If you have another needle, he may be able to allow you to pierce his skin while he is awake," Kento suggested. Sesshomaru, struggling against sleep, clenched his jaw and turned his glare on his assistant.

"It doesn't matter," Kagome whispered. "That was my only needle. I'll have to use the inhaled inoculate." Sesshomaru stared at her, and she could feel a hot sting behind her eyes.

"_Why must this...dead sickness...be forced into the blood?"_

"_The first treatments were breathed in as a powder, but they weren't even half as effective. They were still way better than nothing, but the liquid made in labs is more powerful, with fewer side effects."_

"_Hn."_

Kagome knew he was remembering her explanation of smallpox and the treatment. She couldn't stop thinking about it. He was already sick, probably had been for several days but he hadn't said anything, had pushed his symptoms aside with his youki to focus on Rin and all of the demons and humans in the Western Lands that depended on him. The longer a patient went from contraction to inoculation, the less effective the medicine would be. He had already waited longer than he should have, and then she couldn't even give him the best she had. If she failed him...

Uncharacteristically - that word seemed to apply to Sesshomaru frequently since she had joined him - the corner of his mouth lifted in a tiny smile. She could feel the muscles in his neck and shoulders relaxing, and his eyes drifted half-closed. Kagome wanted to cry, but she could not. He was telling her he trusted her. He was telling her to do whatever she could, and that he knew it would be enough. A knock brought his eyes wide open again and Hisao was at the door, summoning Kento. The inuyoukai returned with a pouch containing the inoculate Jun had sent up from the infirmary. She prepared the powder and again helped Sesshomaru to sit up. It took several tries, but he managed to breathe in the entire dose before falling back to her lap.

"How long?" Kento asked quietly. Sesshomaru's eyes closed, and his breathing, although still shallow, evened out.

"I am not sure. The first medicine I gave him will ease his discomfort in a few minutes, if the dosage was right. The inoculate...we have to wait and see." She gently set his head on the futon and eased away to wring out a fresh cloth and apply it to his forehead. "Go ahead and go. There isn't much else to do until it is time for another dose, and I can send someone to get you if there is any trouble." She looked up to find Kento hesitating at the door. "I am sure that there is a lot of reassuring and organizing to do right now. Go."

"Hisao-san will post a guard outside the door, just let him know if you need anything." Kento placed his hand on the screen and then turned around, considering her. "You have done much for the Western Lands, and you did not have to." He raised his hand to stem her interruption. "It is more than any of us would have expected from an outsider, especially a human. You are strong, Isha. You are wise and kind, and you are more than worthy of any honor bestowed by the Saidai mao." He bowed deeply, then turned and left. Kagome was very aware that he had meant every word - and that he intended for all those excellent demon ears outside to hear them.

"Did you hear that, Sesshomaru," she asked in a low voice that would not carry. "Inuyoukai _can_ admit when they are wrong." She brushed his bangs off his forehead, tracing the blue crescent there and letting her fingers trail through the fine strands of white. Her eyes caught the first indications of a flat oval spot, darker than the rest of his skin, at the corner of his mouth. She bit her lip and refused to give in to the salty sting in her eyes.

ooo

Ryukostokken drummed his claws on the table before him and did his best to hold back his impatience. Instead of gutting the fool who struggled to pour tea for himself and his guest, he merely backhanded her. She slid several feet across the floor before crawling into a low bow of subservience. "Leave," he growled. Ryukostokken dismissed her from his mind before the shoji screen had even closed, and turned to his guest.

The half-demon was a mercenary, a spy. Rightfully driven out of youkai villages in the north, the mixed blood managed to survive a childhood fending for himself and had become a stealthy assassin and spy. Ryukostokken appreciated how such skills could be used to further his own interests, but the whelp would have to be killed eventually. The Lord of the North could not allow such a stain on the honor of dragon youkai to continue indefinitely. "Speak."

"Of course, Ryukostokken-sama," he replied. He unrolled a scroll and reported on the movement and station of various patrols, and the casualties from disease.

"You interrupt this one, you bring your filthy blood into the castle of the North for this! This is nothing!" Ryukostokken swept the map from the table, leaving gouges in the wood and destroying most of the paper in the process. "This Ryukostokken knows all of this." He leaned over the low table, his eyes bleeding red and his fangs bared. "If you cannot bring new information, then you serve no purpose!" The hanyou did not flinch, but bowed his head with respect.

"Forgive me, I had one other report which may be of interest."

"Get on with it!"

"The Saidai Mao has succumbed." Ryukostokken paused, and then a feral smile broke across his scarred face.

"How sure are you?"

"An informant very close to the Western Lord saw the marks personally." Ryukostokken felt a burst of vindictive elation. He slammed his hand down on the table, breaking it in half. It would have crushed the spy's legs if he had not moved so quickly, but the dragon lord did not care. His goal had been to cripple the Western Lands, and hinder their allies. That the Killing Perfection himself would take ill...Ryukostokken laughed. The sound bounced around the stone room and sent chills down the spines of any close enough to hear it. _Perfection...the dog would be lucky to survive, and even then he would bear the same hideous scars that I do. No longer perfection. No longer first, highest, greatest._

"You will personally tell this Ryukostokken if the pup's condition changes," he ordered. He dismissed the mercenary with a wave of his hand and turned to the massive windows that looked out on his lands. _Not prince, but emperor. Soon, soon._ His gloating was interrupted, and he scowled, wishing the half-blood to leave so that he could relish the impending demise of the dog.

"There is one other thing, great Lord." He paused, and Ruykostokken finally turned and snarled to let the idiot know his patentice was waning. "A human woman has been brought to the Western castle to see the sick. She tends to Sesshomaru-sama." The dragon lord considered that information. The inu pup had never shown much care for humans, with the exception of the strange child, but he did not force them out of his lands as he should have. Ruykostokken considered that perhaps the son had taken after his father more than any suspected. "My informant was...displeased by her arrival. She does not appear to be of high birth. Her manner and dress are most...informal." _Informal…_ Ruykostokken laughed, great bellowing gales of laughter. He slammed his palm against the wall to support his weight, cracking the stone, and laughed until he had no breath.

"This Ruykostokken sought to bring him low - but he already shames the West with the same perversions as his sire! Go, go, you have satisfied this one." Long minutes after the spy had departed, the dragon lord was still smiling, but it was a twisted, malicious smile. "Sickness presses your lands, Sesshomaru, and you inspire corruption from within," he whispered. _ Demons of the West will turn on him, as Sesshomaru is unable to stop the disease that ravaged them and disgraces himself with a human woman. The whore will seal his fate._

ooo

"I can get us in, I know it," Shippo whispered. Rin nodded her head absently, chewing on her lip and staring around the corner at the screens that opened onto Sesshomaru's antechamber. She knew the two guards that had been posted there. They were brothers, rock demons, and two of the best fighters under Hisao-san's command. She had always liked them, but they did not look like they would be indulgent of two disobedient children at the moment.

"Rin isn't sure," she said quietly. She wanted to see Sesshomaru-sama, so badly, but-

"Don't you want to check on him? It's not like you're going to get sick again."

"Rin knows." She straightened her obi and her hair and fussed with her sleeves. She was so worried! Kento-san had come and told them that Sesshomaru-sama was ill, but that Kagome-san was with him. That was good. Kagome-san made Rin all better, so she would fix Sesshomaru-sama too. But it had been almost three days. Three days and Kagome-san had not come out nor had Kento-san come back to tell them anything. The servants wouldn't answer her questions, so she and Shippo snuck around and eavesdropped.

They knew that Sesshomaru-sama had lost control when he became ill. The rumors claimed that he nearly killed some weaker youkai with his will alone. Shippo-kun overheard the cook saying that Kento-san had been knocked out by his power, and Hisao-san started bleeding from his eyes and nose! But Kagome-san… The whispers about her were awed, confused, and frightened. When the miko had first come to the castle, the demons said very mean things about her. Things about her being human, which Rin had heard before, and other things, things about honor and shame and...Rin blushed in anger and embarrassment at the memory of some of the words she had heard. Since Sesshomaru-sama had gotten sick, that had changed.

They said she had cut through the Lord's youki like a sword through silk. They said his youki pulled her into the room, lighting her face and clothes, making her appear as a demon. They even said that Sesshomaru-sama had allowed her to touch his person. She whispered to him and his beast was calmed. She asked his youki to recede, and it did so. Some said she was a witch, come to charm the sickness from the Lord. Others said she was a princess, skilled in the arts of healing and herbs. Rin bit her lip again. There was not a whisper of miko powers, and Shippo-kun warned her they shouldn't say anything. Rin agreed; she knew it would be dangerous if the demons, already on edge about the disease, believed they could be purified at any moment. The servants and guards had stopped the worst talk about Kagome-san, and they usually shushed any who spoke of shame and the human woman in the same breath. Still…

Only Kento-san and Hisao-san had entered his chambers, and Kagome-san had not come out. It had only taken her a day to make Rin feel better, and she was completely fine in less than a week. Sesshomaru-sama was still sick enough that he required a guard to keep lesser youkai away, just in case his power flared again. Rin also worried that the guard might be there to protect her Lord as well. If Sesshomaru-sama needed a bodyguard, he was very, very sick. She frowned. She had to know if her Lord needed her. And Shippo-kun was ready to jump out of his skin, he was so concerned for his adopted mother. She nodded, sharply.

"Okay. Let's do it."

ooo

Kagome was aware that someone was speaking, but it sounded muffled. For a moment, her heart stopped - _Sesshomaru_! She extended her reiki and found him, as he had been when she left his side only a hour or so ago. He was resting, as comfortably as she could make him. Kagome placed a hand over her racing heart and slumped back down onto the little futon that had been pulled into a corner of his antechamber. Her body felt numb, and what wasn't numb, ached in a pulsing, dull way that spoke to days without more than a few minutes sleep at a time. She let her eyes fall closed and listened with one ear to the conversation in the hallway.

"No, no," one of the guards said.

"Sesshomaru-sama must rest," finished the other. A soft, high voice mumbled something she couldn't make out, and then:

"Kagome-isha has been working very hard. She is tired, Rin-yojosan." _Rin?_ She sat up on one elbow and frowned. She had asked Kento to check on the children, to let them know she would see them as soon as she could. There was a whine, a sound most unlike Rin - although Kagome couldn't place what it reminded her of. A commotion ensued, and several voices spoke at once. The shoji slid open silently, and then slid shut again. Kagome raised one exhausted brow.

"Hello?" she called softly.

"Kagome-san!" The response was immediate and broke whatever had concealed the intruder. Rin burst out of nothingness, racing across the room and throwing herself on Kagome. The wind knocked out of her, Kagome fell back to the futon and patted Rin's heaving back. _What in the world would make the girl act such a way, and so sneaky?_ Kagome sighed. _Shippo._ "Rin was so worried, Kagome-san! Kento-san said Sesshomaru-sama was sick, but no one came to tell us if he was better, and we couldn't see you and it was so awful and Shippo-kun and Rin missed you and Rin just wants to be with Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome's heart broke at the little girl's sobbing exclamations. Of course she was worried, Kagome should have thought of it and summoned the children to reassure them herself. She had just been so busy, and Sesshomaru…

"Isha!" One of the guards appeared, his usual stoic expression transformed by a look of horror. In his arms lay Rin, limp and covered in spots. They were black as night, and covered her from head to bare feet. _That is going too far._ "Rin-yojosan?" The guard stared at the girl on the futon, arms wrapped around Kagome, then down at the same figure in his arms.

"Shippo," she ordered. There was a loud pop, and the spotty Rin transformed into a red-haired kitsune. He jumped from the guard's arms and raced to her side.

"Kagome-mama! I-"

"Do. Not. _Ever_. Do. That. Again." Her eyes narrowed, and Shippo swallowed heavily. Kagome could see the tears welling in his eyes, but she forced herself to remain firm. "And you, Rin," she turned to the girl. "I expect a certain amount of thoughtlessness from Shippo, but you…I am disappointed in you both. Sesshomaru is very sick, and everyone in the castle is worried. Tricking the guards to get in where you are not supposed to be? And faking an illness that has killed others, this behavior is appalling, both of you." They hung their heads; whispered apologies fell into the silence. She let it stretch for a few moments. "You will both apologize to Eiichi-san and Eiji-san, and then you will each write lines until your hands fall asleep. And this will never happen again, understood?" They both nodded, and stood with hands folded and heads bowed. "However," she took a deep breath, and both children looked up with hopeful eyes, "I will allow you to see Sesshomaru for just a moment, Rin-chan. You may both return in the morning to see me, but next time _ask_ the guards to let you in." She waved the stunned guards outside.

She stood, brushing her loose hair over her shoulder and thinking that she really needed a brush. And a bath. And about two days of sleep. She took Rin's hand and led her to the screen that separated the antechamber from the sleeping room. "He looks very terrible," she warned the girl quietly. "I gave him something to help him sleep, and you must be very quiet and not touch him." Rin nodded fearfully, and Kagome slid open the door.

Sesshomaru lay on his back on the raised futon. She had been turning him to rinse off his skin, but he seemed to breathe easiest on his back with a folded blanket serving as a pillow. Rin's hand squeezed hers painfully, but the girl did not make a sound. Kagome had become used to the sight, but she was sure that seeing the Western Lord in such a state for the first time was horrifying. Not an inch of visible skin was left unmarked. Flat, black welts lay so thick it seemed that his skin was pebbled like a lizard, instead of the smooth perfection it was meant to be. One eyelid had swollen shut, and Kagome had been forced to ask Kento to puncture his trachea with a sharp demon claw so that she could get air past the swollen tissues of the daiyoukai's throat. His hair was pulled to the side. Kagome had brushed it and braided it to keep it out of the way. It was one of the few places she felt she could give him a comforting touch without disturbing the pox. Not that Sesshomaru probably would have asked for it, or even considered her touch comforting, if he were awake. She waited for a few moments, then gently pulled Rin backwards, closing the screen behind them.

"He looks…" Shippo trailed off. Kagome hadn't realized the kit would want to see as well, but she supposed morbid curiosity combined with concern for Rin would prompt him to look. Kento entered the room, no doubt summoned by the commotion Shippo's trick had caused, and stood quietly to the side.

"It is bad. Shippo, Rin. I won't lie to either of you, but I _am_ doing everything I can to get Sesshomaru better."

"Inuyasha could go through the well," Shippo offered. "He could get more medicine." He was obviously distressed to see such a powerful demon brought low. Kagome guessed that Rin's suffering was a nail through his heart as well. The two children had grown close. She shook her head.

"Not for almost three more weeks, Shippo." The kitsune looked crestfallen, but Rin's angry expression surprised Kagome.

"Not everything," she said.

"Rin," Kagome began, sure the girl was hurting. Kagome had lost her own father, she knew what that felt like. Rin cut her off.

"You are not doing everything you can. You saved Rin, save Sesshomaru too." Kagome stiffened, her heart crumbling inside. She glanced at Kento, worried that the conversation was about to reveal things she wasn't sure the demons in the castle were ready to know.

"You don't know what you're asking, Rin. It-"

"You don't _want_ to heal Sesshomaru!" Rin accused. Kento sucked in a breath, Shippo's mouth fell open in shock. Kagome was aware of the guards outside, who could probably hear everything, but Rin's indictment cut deeply.

"Sesshomaru is a youkai, Rin," she tried to explain calmly. "What I did for you-"

"So? You fix Inuyasha-san all the time! You just like him better!"

"Inuyasha is only half-youkai so-"

"Shippo-kun is a full-demon, and you used your power to heal his arm. He told me!"

"Rin, it is more complicated than-"

"You are making it that way! Fix him! Fix Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin's face was red and tears leaked out of her eyes. Her hands fisted at her sides and she choked back a sob. "Papa," she mouthed. Kagome moved toward her, but Rin backpedaled, nearly tripping over her kimono. She threw open the screen and raced down the hallway.

"Go with her, Shippo," Kagome said quietly. The kit nodded. He gave her one last quick squeeze, and then darted after the human girl.

"Isha," Kento began after the screen had closed. Kagome shut her eyes against the question in his tone, against her failure to save the creature in the next room, against the tangible pain of a little girl who knew she was going to lose the person she loved most in the world.

"She was upset," Kagome said woodenly, trying to cover the secret that Rin had all but shouted. "She didn't know what she was saying."

"Your miko powers were strong enough to cure Rin's illness?" Kagome's eyes popped open at Kento's calm question.

"How did you-"

"At the spring, near the human village, Sesshomaru-sama called you 'miko'. Then I saw you in my Lord's study. Your reiki is very strong, but you keep it under remarkable control. I very much doubt anyone else even realized you were using it to soothe his beast. His youki was lashing out at the disease and could have done a great deal of damage. I had no idea that priestess powers could mix so well with demon energy, without purification."

"I didn't-" Her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she could finish. "It wasn't on purpose."

"You intended to purify him, then?" Kento looked mildly curious, but not surprised or offended that a human miko had surreptitiously used her holy powers on his Lord. Kagome rubbed a hand against her aching head. She didn't think she could hide her secret from Kento any longer. Even if she weren't nearly a zombie from lack of sleep and over-exertion, she couldn't match his superior senses.

"Of course not. Sometimes my powers just...they just are. They do things, without my thinking about it. Until you brought it up, I couldn't have even said for certain if I had used my reiki in the study."

"You cured Rin-yojosan with it? You have used it to heal your kit?"

"I healed Rin, but, she's human," Kagome was pleading, fearful of where Kento was headed and begging him to see reason. "And Shippo I had to concentrate so hard on, and, and, he's mine! My powers know that he's mine to save and protect. And Rin is a defenseless child, even as hard as I had to concentrate, my power knew it was the right thing."

"Is saving Sesshomaru-sama not the right thing? Nine more have died since my Lord took ill, and the infirmary is bursting with new patients. The Western Lands are at a crux, Isha. We cannot defeat this disease. There is nothing you could do that would make this situation worse." He waved her off before she could object again, and Kagome deflated. She had thought about using her reiki - for more than just assessing Sesshomaru's condition. But if she made a mistake… "Come, I have ordered the bath made ready. You smell...human," he finished delicately. He led her outside, through a chilly, secluded garden she had not even realized was there. A small addition was tacked onto the outer wall of Sesshomaru's sleeping quarters. Kento opened the door and steam billowed out. "Please leave your garments inside and they will be boiled and returned to you. Clean clothing is provided there." He gestured to a shelf with towels, scrubbing cloths and a neat pile of clothes. Kagome breathed in the warm, moist air and felt some of the tension in her ease. "Rest, relax. You will know what must be done, Shikon Priestess."

Kagome started at the use of the title, sure that Sesshomaru had not told anyone her identity, but the screen was already sliding closed. She shook herself and didn't waste any more time contemplating Kento's strange manner. She scrubbed her skin and hair, the first time in almost a week, and rinsed before stepping into the water. Kagome did her best to not think about Rin's tearstained face or Shippo's worried frown. She even managed not to dwell on the patient sleeping a few feet away. Not even the growing embers of reiki inside her kept her from leaning her head back and falling asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome awoke with a startled gasp, her head dunking under the rapidly cooling water. She popped back up, sputtering, searching for whatever had woken her. A pulse of youki came her way again, and she nearly killed herself in her haste to get out of the bath and dry off. The simple kimono stuck to her damp skin and she was shivering too badly to do more than tie the obi in a simple knot. She ignored the provided sandals and flew through the screen between the bath and Sesshomaru's sleeping chamber.

He still lay on his back, one eye swollen shut, the other open only far enough to reveal a sliver of red. The same color stained his upper lip and mouth. Thick, wet blood ran from his nose and the corner of his lips, trickling onto his bare shoulders and the white bedding. His youki flared again, and a gasp drew Kagome's horrified attention to the anteroom. The screen was parted slightly, and Kento knelt there, struggling for breath. Kagome didn't miss the dark spots on his cheeks and forehead, or the way his skin flushed with fever. Eiichi and Eiji stood behind him in the open doorway to the corridor. Eiichi also had signs of smallpox. "He, he- is getting worse," the demon panted. Kagome turned back to the daiyoukai, and suddenly, she knew what had to be done.

"Kento, clear the castle."

"The - the whole castle, Isha?"

"Everyone in this building," she clarified. For the first time in days, Kagome felt a sense of true calm settle over her. The right thing. No matter how difficult it was, no matter how she struggled and suffered, Kagome _always_ did the right thing. She would not allow fear to keep her from that path. A shuffling sound indicated Kento's crawl away from another overwhelming surge of youki. Kagome stepped forward, Sesshomaru's power swirled around her and called to her. He needed her, whether he knew it or not. He needed her, and she would not let him suffer. She would not let him die. Another flare of energy blew back the sleeves of her kimono and lifted her wet hair into a maelstrom of heat and a comforting, heavy musk. She stepped forward again, dimly aware of the other demons retreating, and Kento's whispered, "Thank you, Kagome-isha."

Kagome moved with purpose, and Sesshomaru's youki parted and pulled on her, calling her to him. His one open eye did not move, but his breath, raspy and shallow through the metal tube she had inserted in his neck, sped up. "Shhh," she whispered. "It's okay, Sesshomaru, I'm here." This time, she was conscious of her reiki. It had been growing, restless since she got into the bath, and she could feel her own power reaching out to meet his. Like a veil had been pulled from her eyes, she could see the currents of energy in the room. Green, turbulent waves of youki buffeted her and lashed against the confines the daiyoukai seemed to have placed on it. He filled the room with his energy. It spilled over, outside the walls, and still more poured out of him, trying to find release. Trying to find something to fight the enemy that was destroying his body. Pink threads of reiki emerged from her fingertips. They twined and twisted languidly, tangling with the much larger, more aggressive youki. The holy lines seemed ridiculously fragile next to his overwhelming strength. As she walked closer to him, her reiki pressed and prodded, slowly smoothing the turbulent waters of his power. She knew instinctively how to direct her energy, in a way she had never considered before. She knelt on the futon, and pink light wound around her and formed a thin blanket over the youki simmering in the room. His power did not retract, but it eased, calmed for the time being.

Kagome pulled his head into her lap, gently pulling his braid out to the side to make him as comfortable as possible. She smoothed her hands across his forehead, lightly touching the place where she knew his crescent should be, under the horrible rash of smallpox. She ghosted across his cheekbones and down his neck to swiftly remove the breathing tube. He stiffened, and blood oozed from the hole. "Shhh," she repeated and he relaxed again. She finally settled her hands on either side of his chest, her thumbs resting on his collarbones. Kagome called to her power again, leaving what she had already released to glide along his youki and summoning more than she ever had before - with greater control. Her hands glowed pink and she leaned over his face, curtaining them both with her unbound hair. She stared into his good, red eye and whispered, feeling his hot, harsh breath on her lips, "I've got you."

ooo

Shippo and Rin sat on the steps of the castle, watching the tension of every demon in the upper bailey. Kento sat near them, at a little table that had been brought outside. He kept records of all who had taken ill or died, where they lived and worked, whom they had come into contact with. He had another long scroll that noted the reassignments of servants and soldiers to keep the castle running and protected during the crisis. Shippo was very aware that it wouldn't be much longer before the list was useless. There wouldn't be anyone left to fill in, or take an extra patrol, or even to care for the sick. The infirmary couldn't hold their numbers. Futons and pallets had be strung out in the courtyard, the entire upper bailey becoming a quarantined sick room. Those who had not taken ill, or were not yet too sick to move, brought water or cool cloths, extra blankets, to those who lay suffering. The dead were wrapped and laid on pyres in a stone alcove of the high wall. The courtyard stank of burning flesh, and it would continue to do so. Shippo turned his eyes from the pallbearers who carried another victim to the next pyre, waiting to collect enough to start another funeral blaze.

Kento did not look well. His hand shook as he wrote, leaving inky splatters on the edge of his paper. He had to stop several times to cough, but he did not look up as Hisao approached. "I pierced Jun's throat, as you told me _she_ did, and it seems to be helping." Shippo's eyes widened. Rin had said Jun was a healer who would help Kagome, but apparently he was sick too.

"I know," Kento responded quietly.

"She was supposed to help, but things have only gotten worse since that _human_ arrived," Hisao's words were harsh, and Shippo bristled.

"I know," Kento repeated, "but we need to give her more time to-"

"Get rid of her. Get her away from Lord Sesshomaru, or I will."

"I have-"

Shippo didn't give Kento a chance to finish, but jumped off the steps. His chest blazed with fury and angry tears stung his eyes. He refused to let them fall. "You can't!"

His own voice was almost drowned out by Rin's, "Don't touch her!" Shippo turned to stare at the girl. Only hours before she had practically accused Kagome of letting Sesshomaru die. She had calmed down since then, but Shippo was both stunned and pleased to see that she was still on Kagome's side. "Kagome-san will save Sesshomaru-sama, Rin knows it!"

"You have to give her more time," Shippo added. "Her medicine is good, but Sesshomaru-sama is very sick. You need to wait for-"

"I don't need to wait for anything, _kit_," Hisao growled and released a harsh lash of youki that threatened to push Shippo to his knees. He stubbornly pushed back with his own energy, taking the captain by surprise and forcing him back a step.

"If you want to hurt my mother, you'll have to go through me!" Shippo knew he was no match for Hisao, even if the older demon was showing the first signs of the illness. He had to try. He readied his acorns and his top. Kagome would save Sesshomaru, he knew that. She was just so tired from helping everyone else. She needed time. _They had to give her time!_ As if the kami themselves had heard his silent plea, shocked gasps and outraged shouts erupted below the wall. Hisao turned, only to come face to face with a flying ball of red and silver.

"Oi!" Hisao was knocked back, right onto Kento's table. The wood cracked and ink flew everywhere. "Back the fuck off, asshole! He's just a kid." Inuyasha turned to Shippo and Rin, one hand on Tessaiga's hilt and an ear twitched towards Hisao's prone form. "What the hell is goin' on here runt?" Shippo couldn't stand it anymore, he flew towards Inuyasha and buried his face in the robe of the fire rat. Tears leaked out, no matter how hard he tried to hold them in, and he raced through the tale of Sesshomaru's sickness and the growing numbers of dead at the castle.

"And now they think Kagome isn't trying hard enough. They want to get rid of her!"

Shippo was surprised when Rin joined him, tugging on Inuyasha's sleeve and gaining his attention, "Rin thought so too, but Rin was wrong. Please Inuyasha-san, please help Kagome-san stay! We need her! Sesshomaru-sama needs her!" Rin was crying outright, but Shippo did his best to wipe off his tears before Inuyasha or the other males could see them. The hanyou stood, stunned for a moment, and Shippo was suddenly aware of the silence in the courtyard. Everyone who wasn't dead or close to it was staring at the half-demon who had entered so dramatically, leapt over the twenty-foot high wall, and knocked Captain Hisao on his back without a fight.

"Keh," Inuyasha said finally. He picked up both children and set them back on the steps, placing himself in front of them. "As if Kagome would let that asshole die, she can't even skin a rabbit without feeling bad. 'Sides, she knows the only one who gets to kill my fuckin' brother is me!" There was another ripple of outrage in the crowd, and several soldiers put their hands on their weapons. Hisao came to, and pushed himself out of the remains of Kento's desk. "Oi, Shippo, who's this asshole anyway? And when'd you get the second tail?" Shippo nearly broke his neck trying to look at his own tail and almost missed Inuyasha's last words, "I leave you and that wench alone for a few days, and all hell breaks loose."

ooo

Sesshomaru was tired. He wasn't sure why. He was sitting comfortably, in a quiet, dark place. He didn't think he had been exhausting himself. The last thing he remembered was working through the reports at his desk… _No,_ he frowned. His head was hurting. Then he was on his futon, and the miko was there. She smelled of bitter fear and salty sadness because she couldn't give him her modern medicine. He needed it because...Sesshomaru's eyes widened with realization, although it did nothing to illuminate the darkness around him. He was ill. He had contracted the pox that threatened the Western Lands. She had offered to keep him from getting sick, and he had refused, believing that nothing made by human healers could possibly compare to his own powerful self. And perhaps, in the smallest corner of his mind, he had not wanted to appear weak in front of her.

_He had been wrong._

That thought, something he had never admitted before, took him aback, and he almost missed the eerie glow that parted the darkness before him. A swirling white light coalesced in front of him, slowly taking shape into his demonic form. He admired himself in a detached way, noting that he had nearly grown to the size Inu no Tashio had achieved before his death. The beast lay down and put his head on his paws, as though he was defeated. That irritated Sesshomaru.

"Get up," he commanded it in a strangely hollow voice. The beast did not respond, but another wave of exhaustion overtook his humanoid form. Sesshomaru looked down at his own body, naked and bathed in the glow of his youki. His skin was covered in black pustules, blood dripping onto his torso. He put one hand to his nose and mouth, and it came away sticky. His hand drifted down to his neck, and he traced the open wound there that allowed breath past the tightness in his throat. His throat…with that realization, all of the pain in his body came back to him. No longer merely tired, he wanted to roar from the blazing agony in his joints, the roiling acid in his belly, the aching tightness in his chest. The beast stood and circled him. Two tails coiled around his smaller form as though trying to comfort and protect him. His youki dulled the pain, but he could still sense the disease, eating at his flesh and burning through his blood.

Sesshomaru sank a deformed hand into his own fur and closed his eyes against the soft pink glow around him. Despair, an emotion he had never before experienced, welled up inside him. He had walked the path of conquest and sought complete perfection, absolute primacy for himself and the Western Lands. The thought that he would be brought low by illness was -

Sesshomaru blinked. There was a pink light, a glow, warming the blackness around him. His beast noticed as well, lifting its head and sniffing at the air. Some sound whispered at his ears, but his could not make it out. His beast must have heard it, and appreciated it, for his tails thumped on the ground. "Stop that," Sesshomaru rasped, "We are not a pup." The beast ignored him and wagged harder. The light intensified and brightened, almost blinding in its intensity. Sesshomaru lifted his face, and felt a warm, salty breeze against his skin. A whisper kissed his ears, _Let go, I have you._ The pain in his body exploded, rejecting that light and fueling a wracking, necrotic misery that clawed at his insides. His beast howled. Sesshomaru reached out a shaking hand, for only the second time in his life, asking for assistance. Pink stars burst behind his eyes and the scent of sweet red wood and white blossoms filled his nose even as the pain pulled him back into darkness.

ooo

Kagome could feel the breath in her lungs. _In. Out. In. Out._ She was conscious of the rough texture of Sesshomaru's skin under her palms. _Pebbly. Don't press too hard. Ugh, it burst and now it's sticky._ Her left foot had fallen asleep and she was cold everywhere except where his head lay on her lap. _Should have grabbed the mokomoko._ All of those things ran through her mind, but they came and left like leaves on a breeze, never drawing her focus.

Her being was concentrating on what was happening in the millimeters between her skin and his. In that space her reiki pushed against him, cajoling his youki to gain access to his body. It had seemed like hours, or maybe only a few seconds, and then hot green energy licked up her arms and twined through her hair, securing her hands against him and giving her unspoken permission. Then the hard work began.

With Rin, it had been a matter of letting her reiki flow through the girl's body. She identified everything that was Rin, and then she searched for what did not belong. She imagined the virus to look like enlarged versions of the black dumbbell shape from her textbook. She found the vaccine in Rin's system and pushed it towards her own natural antibodies. A war raged in Rin's body, and Kagome was the general, issuing orders and ensuring none of the enemy escaped. She was behind the lines as well, healing damage in the wake of the disease and repairing antibodies to return to the battle. It had been a matter of will and energy and understanding of what she was fighting, and on what ground.

With Sesshomaru, she lost nearly all advantage. He had no potent vaccine in his system, preparing his antibodies to push out invading viruses. In fact, she wasn't entirely sure demons _had_ antibodies. Kagome lost any sensation of her physical body, hunched over Sesshomaru, as she labored to understand him. She needed to identify what was Sesshomaru, what belonged, before she could lay out a strategy. His body was strange to her, and yet familiar. One heart. _Dub-lub. Dub-lub._ She had heard it through her stethoscope, but from inside him it was louder, more robust. It forced blood through his veins and she followed it. His blood. _Red like mine._ It was strong and it knew she was inside him. It did not push against her, but considered her, flowing over her power, drowning her in a tide of thick, deep heat that coated her and she nearly drowned as it explored her - while she explored him. When it withdrew, she was left gasping, but it revealed some of his secrets, showing her how a daiyoukai killed enemies within.

Two lungs. _In. Out. In. Out._ Just like her, but slower. He did not need as much air, he was more efficient. His tissues felt wet, his breath came with difficulty. Laying on the cells inside was the dust of the inoculate she had forced him to inhale. The dead virus was rejected by his body. It had done no good. She could identify just as easily as him that this, this filth, was not of Sesshomaru. Liver and kidneys and stomach. _So empty._ He needed more food, so much more than she did. He needed sustenance of any sort, which he had been denied for days. More than that he needed meat - proteins and fats, carbohydrates and amino acids. Blood. His stomach craved wet, hot liquid rich with iron and electrolytes.

She mapped his entire body. Traced his muscles and bones. Followed the flow of fluid in his spine. She knew him. Knew what made the body he inhabited youkai. Daiyoukai. Sesshomaru. The farther she pushed, the harder it became, like he was shrinking away from her. No. Like something was pulling him away, pushing an opaque barrier between them. Kagome caught a glimpse, just for a moment, of the tiny black virus that had caused so much devastation in the most powerful being she had ever known. She narrowed her eyes. It had made a mistake. Sesshomaru was often aloof. He was stoic and egotistical and tightlipped. He was difficult to be comfortable with, harder to like, harder still to love. But he was not alone. She stood by him. There were others too. Others that wanted to be with him. Others that liked him. That loved him. Whatever instinct or fate or villain or cruel twist of virulent destiny had sent this smallpox to Sesshomaru, it had miscalculated. He could not be defeated, because he was not alone.

"I will not let you die, Sesshomaru."

She wasn't sure if she really spoke or not, too deeply embedded inside him to recognize the signals of her own body as more than distant shadows. A darkness was closing over him, and Kagome could feel his youki withdrawing, being torn away and clutching at her to remain. "I've got you," she ground out. She forced more power into her hands, pouring reiki into his body. His youki bucked, flaring in response and racing back from the darkness to reach for her. Energy answered in her without conscious effort. A wellspring within her erupted and Kagome felt all at once torn apart and held tightly by the tremendous outpouring. Pink light blossomed in the room, blinding her to everything but Sesshomaru's face below her and the imagined sight of his being she still held in her mind. An unnatural wind, holy power tasting like salt and ozone, swept around her, lifting her hair and pulling Sesshomaru's white strands free from his braid. The blackness still clawed at him, and Kagome could feel it reaching across his youki, climbing up the connection they shared to tug at her as well.

"Fight with me, Sesshomaru," she cried softly. She could feel her own energy faltering, feel her concentration divided between pushing that invader from her own body and eradicating it from the daiyoukai. A small tendril of youki, a hot thread that seemed so thin it might snap at any moment, unfurled against her skin. It slid along the wide vee made by her hastily thrown on yukata, glided over her collarbone, and slipped up and around her neck to caress her jaw. She held it to her with her reiki and a snarl was ripped from her throat. "Sesshomaru!" Kagome had never been so determined, so absolutely focused and she threw everything she was into Sesshomaru, willing that darkness to be banished from his perfection. Then, she exploded with power.

ooo

"What the fuck do you mean, 'get out'? I ain't leaving without Kagome, and she sure as hell ain't leavin' until all these idiots are better." Inuyasha-san scowled at Hisao-san and gestured to the sick in the courtyard. Rin blushed at his language, but she also felt a swell of pride and admiration. Sesshomaru-sama's brother was only a half-demon, but he still stood up to the most skilled fighter in the castle, aside from Sesshomaru-sama of course, and refused to back down. Kagome-san and Shippo-kun were his friends, and Inuyasha-san would do anything for his friends. She was certain he didn't even feel the tiniest bit afraid.

"You are not welcome here, hanyou. Leave or-"

"Not welcome?" Inuyasha snorted. "No shit. I'm not excited to be here either, but Kagome told me to come, and the asshole didn't object - not that he could have done anything about it. I'm here, and I ain't leaving. Unless you want to make me?" Inuyasha-san put his hand on the hilt of his sword, and from behind him, Rin got a good view as his stance widened and he braced his feet for combat. "But I think you got a few things more important to deal with than havin' your ass handed to you."

"Let him be, Hisao-san," Kento-san interrupted. Rin smiled at Sesshomaru's secretary. He looked tired, but he would talk sense into Hisao-san. "If Kagome-isha has not succeeded by morning, we will discuss this further."

"In the morning? She's already been in there all night and the better part of today. How will we even know if she is doing anything?"

"Eiichi and Eiji stayed behind to guard Sesshomaru-sama. They will send word if there is any change." Kento-san paused, finally looking up from the disarrayed papers and ink he was failing to mop up. "Those men deserve recognition for their bravery. I understand there is a good chance she could injure them in the healing process." Hisao huffed, but turned away from Inuyasha to survey the courtyard.

Rin smiled and restrained herself from clapping her hands together. She turned to Shippo-kun to share the small victory, to find him still staring in awe at his two tails. "Two," he muttered. "When did I get two? This is- I have to- When Kagome sees-" Rin giggled and secured him to her side in a hug. Shippo-kun was growing up, just like Rin was growing up. Kagome-san would heal Sesshomaru-sama and they would all live at the castle and...Rin's smile fell. Rin would have to apologize to Kagome-san. She had not deserved the things that Rin had said, but Rin had been very sad. Still, she straightened her shoulders, Rin was of the West, and she would correct her error. Just as soon as she could.

"She really tryin' to use her powers on the asshole, runt?" Inuyasha-san asked Shippo-kun quietly. Rin grew nervous when she noticed Kento-san and Hisao-san listening to them.

"Yeah," Shippo-kun whispered. "She promised Rin she would do everything she could to save him." The kit swallowed hard, finally dropping his new tail and looking up at Inuyasha the way any frightened boy looked up to a mentor. "He looked really bad. Way worse than Rin did." Inuyasha-san considered that with a frown, and Rin's worry deepened. If Sesshomaru-sama's brother was worried about him, then...

"Keh," he shrugged and folded his arms across his chest. "She'll fix him up, no problem. If I'm lucky she'll at least purify him a little in the process. Bastard."

"Purify?" Hisao-san rounded on the hanyou and his expression was thunderous. "Sesshomaru-sama is being healed by a miko?" Hisao-san was not a soft-spoken demon at the best of times, and with his temper inflamed he fairly roared. Every eye in the courtyard - all those that were not already fixed on the newcomer - turned towards them in shock and terror. Rin stepped up beside Inuyasha-san, grabbing hold of his hand and prepared to defend him and Kagome-san to any of Sesshomaru-sama's vassals.

"Kagome-san is a good miko," she called out in a strong voice. "She would never hurt a demon...who didn't deserve it." Rin took another deep breath, knowing that her speech was not going as well as it could have. She squeezed Inuyasha-san's hand for courage. "Please, just listen to Rin. I-" She didn't get a chance to finish. An explosion washed over the castle. An explosion without sound, or vibration, or pain. Pink light, so bright it was nearly white, blinded Rin and everyone else. A warm wind tugged at her hair, pulling loose strands from her neat bun to curl near her face. Her orange kimono fluttered and she could faintly smell the ocean. Then it was over and silence reigned. Except-

"Oi! What the fuck, wench! How come it's always me?" Inuyasha-san patted ineffectually at his reddened skin, and Rin let go of his hand to fan at the faint smoke rising from his hair. She frowned, wondering what had happened, what had gone wrong that Kagome-san had let out so much power.

"Kento," Hisao-san's shock was evident in his lack of an honorific. "Kento, your face…" He trailed off, and everyone stopped to stare at the secretary. His hair and clothes were in disarray from the same wind that had left behind the salty-warm scent in the air. Rin frowned deeper. Kento-san's face was the same pale almond it had always been. His cheekbones were high and pointy, the smooth flesh of his forehead was marked only by three long blue lines that-

The smooth flesh of his forehead.

Rin's gaze snapped to Hisao, then the demon on the closest pallet. From one to another her eyes drifted, and she quickly realized what the residents of the castle were joyfully, disbelievingly seeing. There was not a spot among them. Not a single demon had the marks of the disease. Their skin was smooth. Their eyes clear of fever. Some stood and tested their limbs - free of pain. Rin shrieked and grabbed hands with both Inuyasha-san and Shippo-kun.

"She did it! Kagome-san did it!" With a strength she didn't know she possessed Rin pulled the two boys behind her as she ran into the castle to find her Lord. "Sesshomaru-sama!" she shouted with elation. Her heart echoed the cry, _Papa_!

ooo

Sesshomaru blinked, but his vision didn't clear. For a moment, he thought he was still in the blackness of his own mind, waiting for his beast to appear. Then his eyes adjusted, and he saw that it was not total darkness, but only a dim room, further shadowed by a veil of black...hair. He brushed one hand across his face, pushing the hair back. He became aware, all at once, of warm breath against his chin, a light weight on his chest, and the sweet scent of cherry wood and magnolia blossoms. _Kagome._

He looked down, not surprised so much at the stiffness of his muscles as at the lack of pain he felt. Her head and upper body lay on his torso, one hand brushed against the marking over his collarbone as he breathed. Her legs curled around his head. The warmth of her thighs pressed against his skull and soothed the last vestiges of a headache that felt as though it had raged for days. He did not move immediately, struggling though vague memories of his illness. She had been there, he knew. Kento, as well, but always her. He recalled her soft voice speaking quietly, of nothing and everything. Sometimes telling him fantastical tales of the future, which he could barely remember, other times asking questions about demons at the castle, his parents, and Inuyasha. She sang sometimes too. Nothing elaborate or with great skill, but still sweetly and he remembered it calmed him.

Her hands on his skin. He reached one hand to hers where it lay on his chest. He surprised himself by not immediately removing it. By not wanting to remove it. She had washed him, cared for him, soothed him over and over again. And always she told him he would get better. He had to get better. She was with him. She had him. He traced his claws over the back of her hand and admired the silky feel of her. Two layers of simple kimono - Sesshomaru wondered where she had gotten them and who had managed to convince her to wear such modest clothing - had been put on with no real skill. The obi was barely knotted, and the neckline gaped in a wide vee revealing the full curve of one breast and the slender column of her neck. _Beautiful._

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and blew out a long breath. He had already admitted to himself that she was attractive, both in spirit and in flesh. There was nothing to be gained from further admiration of her form. The full, milky- He snapped his eyes to the ceiling, to keep them from being drawn back to that intriguing shadow between her breasts. Apparently he hadn't sorted out his own thoughts as well as he needed to before he had taken ill. It was a nuisance. He shifted, prepared to wake her, thank her for her assistance - which he would do no matter how it pained him - and send her to her rooms. His muscles protested at the small movement, reminding him that although he may have been asleep, his body had not rested for some time.

The miko let out a pained sort of _mewl_ as well. He frowned. She was foolish enough to ignore her own needs to care for another, even if they did not need it. He found his arm easing between them, gripping her thighs and pulling her around to lay beside him. He wondered why he would do such a thing, but the _rightness_ of it was too strong to ignore, especially in his exhausted state. He felt grateful. He had the suspicion that the miko might have saved his life. She deserved his respect. His thanks. She deserved a long, recuperating rest as a member of his pack. Sesshomaru didn't examine that thought closely either. There would be time later for such things. It was enough, in that moment, that he was no longer ill. She was beside him, smelling sweet and reassuring, and warm against his bare skin.

His bedding was in disarray, pushed down around his waist and exposing one leg. Her body trapped the coverings beneath her, and she shivered in the cool air. Sesshomaru found his mokomoko nearby, and it covered her from head to toe, leaving enough left over to drape over his chest as well. He closed his eyes, feeling a real, deep sleep pulling at him. Her breath puffed softly against his neck. She had one hand tucked against his side and the other stretched over his chest, fingertips grazing his marking. Her long hair covered his arm and trailed across the futon. Her top leg draped across his, her toes nestling between his calves. Her scent wrapped around him and a heavy blanket of spent power, youki and reiki, lay across the room. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly in a small smile. He was right about her power. It was _almost_ as great as his.


	8. Chapter 8

"Eiichi-san! Eiji-san! Rin is so happy!" Shippo worried that Rin was going to yank his arm right out of the socket, she was pulling so hard. He was eager to see Kagome and Sesshomaru too, but he wished the girl would let him get there on his own. Inuyasha had managed to pull away somewhere on the second staircase, and he followed behind, but Shippo was still firmly in her grasp. She laughed and waved at the two rock demons that stood in front of the screens to her Lord's rooms. They were both pale and looked shaken. Eiji - at least, Shippo was pretty sure it was Eiji - was bent at the waist, hands on his knees. Eiichi leaned back against the wall, breathing heavily. Rin skidded to a stop in front of them and beamed. "Open up for Rin!"

"That might not be a good idea, Rin-yojosan," Eiichi frowned and straightened away from the wall.

"There was a...disturbance," Eiji finished, also standing and checking over his brother carefully for injuries.

"No kidding?" Shippo muttered. Eiichi shot him a disapproving glare, but Rin continued as though nothing had happened. Shippo felt around carefully with his youki. Kagome and Sesshomaru were definitely still in there, with a whole lot of spent power. They seemed okay though.

"Rin knows, wasn't it wonderful?" She smiled brightly and hugged Shippo against her. Shippo wanted to roll his eyes. He was happy too, but he didn't know why girls had to touch - _all the time._ It was embarrassing. The twins exchanged glances that clearly stated they thought Rin might be crazy.

"Keh. Of course it wasn't for _them_, kid. They were right next to that ruckus. Even if it didn't hurt, it had to be shocking as all hell." Inuyasha strolled up behind them, and the twins snapped to attention. Shippo realized that they hadn't sensed his presence. Inuyasha could be stealthy when he wanted, but the guards must have been pretty distracted to not smell him in the empty hallway. Shippo frowned. _How much stronger was the purification up here?_ "She fry you a bit too?"

"This is the family's quarters, no one is allowed here," Eiichi threatened. "Who are you?"

"Ain't you got a nose, stupid?" Inuyasha snorted defensively, "Or you castle boys spend so much time indoors you can't scent out a bloodline?" Eiji sniffed discretely, and promptly sneezed.

"Inuyasha-san is Sesshomaru-sama's brother!" Rin finally let go of the kitsune to grab Inuyasha's hand and pull him forward. Shippo took the opportunity to step out of arm's reach and try to sneak past the guards.

Eiji answered the hanyou more diplomatically, "The holy power was more unexpected than painful. It was the youki that stunned us." He paused for a moment, considering the newcomer. "It seems to have stifled our senses, temporarily."

"But I think they are coming back," Eiichi completed his brother's thought and snagged the kitsune by the scruff. Shippo grimaced, then smiled as innocently as possible from his position, dangling from an irritated demon's hand.

"Rin wants to see Sesshomaru-sama!" Shippo was grateful for the girl's redirection, but the rock demon did not let him go. He crossed his arms and huffed. _You fool a youkai's senses with one little illusion, and they get all peevy._ "Let's go see Kagome-san and tell her how well it worked! Don't you want to thank her?"

The guards shared a confused look, and Inuyasha rudely pointed out, "She healed you, idiots. She healed everybody in the whole fuckin' place."

"That is not a nice word, Inuyasha-san," Rin reprimanded with a frown. Shippo was shocked to see the hanyou blush. Inuyasha never did that when anyone else told him to watch his mouth, not even Kagome. Of course, she usually followed it with a 'sit', but still… "Open the doors, please."

"Perhaps we should wait-" Eiji sa.

"For Kento-san," Eiichi finished. Shippo could see Rin was ready to get upset, but Inuyasha interceded.

"If you're worried they fried each other, or that they'll blast whoever goes in, I'll go. It's not like I ain't fought with either of them before."

"This is…" Eiji paused, uncertain.

"You wouldn't stand a chance," Eiichi concluded. Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue, eyes blazing with stubbornness, but Rin beat him to it.

"Rin will go," she announced. "Rin is human and can't be purified, and Sesshomaru-sama would never hurt Rin." Shippo wanted to go too, but at least if they let Rin in, the demon would set him down and they could finally find out about Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"If he's sick, you don't know that bastard won't-" Inuyasha began. The little human girl rounded on him, one finger extended in warning.

"Do not call this one's honored father such things." Shippo's mouth fell open at her perfect parody of the daiyoukai. Inuyasha must have been similarly stunned, because his eyes went wide and he actually backed up a step. Rin's voice softened and she placed a small hand on the sleeve of the fire rat, "But it is sweet of you to worry about Rin, Inuyasha-san." She turned back to the guards and gave them a sugary smile. "Please open up, Eiji-san, Eiichi-san." Wordlessly, the guards slid back the doors just enough for the child to slip through, then closed them behind her. Shippo stared at their shocked faces and felt a shiver run down his spine. _Girls are scary._

ooo

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

The soft, high voice slipped through the deep sleep that had claimed him and the daiyoukai opened his eyes. The miko was still curled against him, and he breathed in her scent, searching out the source of his wakefulness at the same time. _Rin._ He turned his head fractionally, careful not to disturb the female using him for a pillow, and looked to the anteroom. Rin stood, poised to move towards him, frozen between the open screens of his sleeping chamber. She had a healthy glow to her face and her hair was slightly disarrayed, as if she had been running and playing. He felt a deep satisfaction that his ward, his daughter, was well. Because of the miko. _Kagome._

"Hn." The single syllable caused her face to split with a grin that made his heart lighter and his own lips nearly twitched in response. She clapped her hands and gave a little squeal, racing towards the futon, and the miko twitched in her sleep, making an uncomfortable moaning sound. Sesshomaru frowned at the girl and used his eyes to gesture at the priestess beside him. Rin stilled immediately, managing to look both chastised and overjoyed at the same time. She leaned over carefully to study the sleeping face of the miko and then caught Sesshomaru's gaze.

"Sorry, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered. Rin had been with inuyoukai for several years. She had a respectable, quiet whisper. She crept closer, making almost no sound, and peered into Sesshomaru's face. He allowed her inspection. He could smell the happiness and anxiety in her, the lingering fear. "Rin was so worried when she saw how ill you were." Sesshomaru held back a frown. He did not know who had made such an error in judgment to let the child near his sickbed, but they would be dealt with. She should not have been re-exposed to the disease, and certainly his time of minor inconvenience was not a thing for one who looked up to him to see. He corrected himself almost immediately, reminded of his long-standing habit of truthfulness, even to himself. The pox had been considerably more than an inconvenience. And many of those under his responsibility still suffered. He glanced down at the miko. She had more than proved her worth, but as soon as she had recovered, she would have to return to treating the others at the castle. He shifted to extract himself from the futon, despite the call of sleep and his abused body, until Rin stopped him with a small hand on his shoulder.

"You must not wake Kagome-san, Sesshomaru-sama. She worked so hard to save you," she paused, eyes downcast, "and after Rin was so mean to her. Rin said some not very nice things to Kagome-san. Rin is ashamed." She glanced up and Sesshomaru raised a brow, inviting her to continue. "Rin told Kagome-san that she should use her miko power to heal you," she whispered, pale with shame. "Kagome-san tried to tell Rin it was dangerous, but Rin would not listen. Then Kagome-san did it anyhow! Rin was a bad girl, but Kagome-san is very good! Her miko power saved Sesshomaru-sama. It saved everyone!" Sesshomaru frowned and listened with growing astonishment to the girl's retelling of his healing, of the clearing of the castle and the many hours the miko worked to save him. To save a demon. _Him_. Then his cool mask slipped and his eyes widened when she described the eradication of the disease in the entire castle, or at least the upper bailey that she knew of, and finally told how Inuyasha had arrived, and he and Shippo waited outside with the guards. _So._ The miko had saved him. She had managed to use reiki, the opposite of youki, to cure not only him, but all, or at least most, of his people. He stared down at her head in wonder. Perhaps she was not _almost_ his equal in power. Perhaps… He shook his head slightly. Those were thoughts for another day. He extended one arm and placed a hand lightly on Rin's head. However crudely she had done it, his daughter had convinced the miko to move past her fear and risk much - to gain everything. He was grateful.

"You should rest, Sesshomaru-sama. And Kagome-san too; she worked so hard!"

"Hn," he agreed. He slid his hand down her hair and cupped her cheek in a rare display of affection. Tears sparkled in her eyes, stinging his nose with salt, but he could also smell the bright melon of her happiness. "Apologize later," he ordered, and she nodded solemnly. "Well done, my daughter." Her face almost split in two with her grin and she hugged Sesshomaru's arm tightly. He gently extracted his limb and waved her away, sleep tugging at him even more insistently than all of the things she had given him to think about.

"Make sure Kagome-san sleeps really well, Sesshomaru-sama," Rin reminded him. His mouth twitched in a tired smile at her serious attitude. "I will have food brought and left in the anteroom when you are ready, but sleep first. No one will disturb you." She grasped each of the shoji screens and slid them together. Just before they closed, she whispered one last thing, for his ears alone, "I love you, Papa."

Sesshomaru stared at the ceiling and analyzed the strange, expanding feeling in his torso. His lungs and heart felt over-full, but not painful. _Light and filled with…_ He closed his eyes and lightly stroked the miko's hair, stirring up a small cloud of her scent. It was a good feeling. He would let it be for now, there was no need for further examination. His palm drifted over the woman's shoulder, across her ribs and the dip of her waist, to settle on her hip. He let out a breath and relaxed back into sleep. A very good feeling.

ooo

Something smelled delicious. Kagome's stomach rumbled but she did her best to ignore it and snuggled deeper into bed. There was creamed rice and fish. Her mouth watered, but she stubbornly refused to open her eyes. The bed was so warm, and she felt so good, she didn't want to move. Her nose and belly were plotting against her. Soup, vegetables, and...cloves. _Cloves?_ Kagome blinked in confusion, staring at pale dips and valleys. Her eyes followed a slash of dark magenta, and she looked up - only to come face to face with Sesshomaru. She squeaked, flailed, and nearly fell off of the raised futon.

"What- you- Sesshomaru," she finished in a whisper. She knew her face must be red, and her cheeks were only getting hotter as she realized that he was naked. Her leg twitched where it had escaped the parted opening of her robe...and rubbed against hard muscle. Completely naked. She pushed herself away, and then realized her palm was directly over his nipple. Kagome snatched back her hand and squeaked again. Sesshomaru was staring at her. She closed her eyes in mortification. _Please, please, just part the earth now and take me to hell. It would be a huge favor to me._ Unfortunately, her closed lids turned out to be the perfect backdrop to replay everything she had seen in the five seconds she had been awake. Sculpted muscle. Purple-red markings that angled exactly where she shouldn't be looking. Slitted, golden eyes. Smooth, perfect skin that just made her want to-

Kagome's eyes snapped open and she sat up. Smooth, perfect skin. Her embarrassment completely forgotten, she ran her hands across his chest and shoulders. Her fingers skimmed his collarbones and she seized the hand that lay on his stomach to examine the unblemished skin and deadly claws. Still gripping his hand with growing excitement, she turned back to his face. She traced his jaw and markings, brushing back his bangs to see his crescent, completely free of the pox. She bit her lip in anticipation and dragged her thumb across his lower lip, demanding entry. His mouth fell open slightly, and she didn't even hesitate, unconcerned with why the cold daiyoukai was allowing such intimacies with his person. His mouth was exactly what she hadn't dared to hope. Pink, healthy tissue on his cheeks and throat. A strong red tongue free of lesions. And, of course, sharp, deadly white fangs.

"Perfect," she whispered. She caught his gaze and smiled, and then was struck with the realization that she had just mauled the Killing Perfection. The naked Killing Perfection. She had, quite literally, felt up the Lord of the West and even rubbed his lips and… Her face burned and she opened her mouth, unable to say anything.

"Of course." She blinked. _What did he say?_ "I would not be anything less." _Did Sesshomaru just call _himself_ perfect? How much ego can one body hold?_ "You are hungry. Food has been provided." He did not move, so Kagome didn't either. She remembered deciding to use her reiki, she remembered the arduous process of pushing her power through his body. She remembered the heat of his youki, its...embrace. She remembered that the disease had almost won; it had reached out to her and then... Her eyes raked over Sesshomaru again. She must have been successful, because he certainly didn't look sick. And he must have been grateful, because she had practically fondled him and she was still breathing. She fought back another wave of blushes and pushed those thoughts aside. He was healthy. She had not killed him. _Focus on the successes, Higurashi. _

"I, ah, how do you feel?"

"Well enough." He must have realized she wasn't satisfied because he continued. "Good. Healthy."

"Good. That's good." She nodded and smiled.

He quirked a brow. "Are you unwell, Miko?"

"No." She frowned and tried to analyze his expression. "I'm kind of sore, and I'm really hungry. I could probably go back to sleep, though."

"Which will it be, Miko?" She stared at him blankly and he explained, "Food, or will you continue trapping me here by sleeping on me?"

"Well- no, I-" she sputtered, struggling to get off of the bed and unwind the white fur that seemed hopelessly tangled around her. Sesshomaru sat up slowly, and Kagome managed to slam her eyes shut just in time to keep from seeing everything that had been under the bedding. "I didn't do it on purpose, you know!" She finally got the fur to release her legs and shoulder and tossed it in his general direction. The tail end must have caught in her obi, because it snagged her around the waist and she tripped, tumbling forward. Her eyes flew open and she caught a glimpse of pale skin and white fur before she slammed into his chest. "_Ooof_!" He secured her with one arm and ran his hands slowly down her arms and back.

"You are not injured," he stated. His breath was warm on her ear and Kagome felt a warm, and completely inappropriate, tingle slide down her spine.

"Nooope," her voice sounded breathy, even to her ears, and she swallowed. "Just clumsy. And really, really hungry!" She wanted to slap herself for how idiotic she sounded. A low vibration thrummed through her chest and then he was gently standing her upright. The rest of the mokomoko released her waist and he stood, as decent as a insanely well-built demon could be in nothing but smooth muscle and a length of white fur.

"Then eat." He leaned down, closing the distance between them, and whispered against the side of her neck. "We will speak later, when we have _fed_." Something about the way he said a perfectly normal word had her breath hitching in her throat. "And we are properly dressed." Her eyes were wide and staring at the slope of his shoulder. She certainly agreed that conversation would be much easier, at least for her, if he was not- One clawed hand lightly traced the collar of her kimono, and Kagome's breath hitched. Then he tugged. Sharply. Her eyes went wide and he pulled back, letting her catch a glimpse of a lightning fast smile. Then he was gone in a trail of fur, silver hair, and smug youkai.

Kagome turned to the shoji screen, one hand clasping together her neckline where it must have been gaping indecently. She was sure he could have seen, well, a lot more than he should have. At least _he_ hadn't been embarrassed, she thought grumpily. She was humiliated enough for the both of them. She tucked her clothing back together as well as she could, trying to banish the waves of heat that she blamed entirely on a deserved blush. Sesshomaru was more than egotistical enough to not be bothered that others saw his naked body. _He certainly doesn't have anything to be ashamed about._ Kagome groaned and tried to throw a muzzle on whatever dark and perverted part of her brain had that thought. She had been hanging out with Miroku too much.

She slid open the screen and inhaled the delightful aroma of breakfast. Happily plopping onto the cushions and piling her bowl with everything she could reach, she let out a moan of contentment. She had a dumpling in her mouth and pickles on her chopsticks when a belated thought occurred to her: _Did Sesshomaru speak in the first person?_

ooo

Sesshomaru set down his brush and stared at the pile of papers and scrolls he had worked though. It had been mid-morning when he woke, and he did not pause to eat once he entered his study, working steadily through the reports and lists of decisions and reviews he was required to make as Lord. His industry was interrupted several times each hour. High ranking youkai begged entry to offer him wishes of good health. Servants and guards slowed as they walked past, waiting for a glimpse or sniff of his sudden recovery. He knew it was reassuring for them to see him, to ascertain for themselves that their Lord was strong and well and able to protect them and carry out his responsibilities. Still, it was irritating.

Even Kento was bothersome. He completed his duties with the same deferential efficiency as always, but he also...fussed. Trays of tea and food appeared as though by happy accident, and when Sesshomaru touched nothing they disappeared again, only to be replaced with more appealing or exotic fare. His ink was refilled before he could use even half of it. The cushion at his desk was replaced with one more luxurious each time he stood to replace a scroll or pace while he read. His stomach felt like a cavernous tomb, his muscles trembled as though he had run across the length of Japan, and his eyelids would have drooped long ago if not for sheer determination. He desired nothing more than to finish what was required and return to his rooms. _Kagome._

He snapped his brush and threw a poisonous glare at Kento. His secretary paused in the act of placing a new stack of work on his left. "My Lord?" he asked politely.

"I'd step back if I were you, Kento-san," Hisao advised from the doorway. The captain slid the screen shut behind him, ignoring the fluttering anxiety of the administrator who was in charge of announcing visitors, and tossed a blast of youki over his shoulder. There was a yelp, followed by a retreating scurry, and Sesshomaru felt a vicarious wave of pleasure. There were many days when he wished he could do more than glare to send his retainers and servants running. Those were the days when he left to inspect his lands, rather than deal with the endless drone of paperwork and routine. Unfortunately, he could no more escape his duties than he could blast every youkai in the castle until they left him alone. He considered it for a moment. Perhaps… "If Sesshomaru-sama is half as ill as you are treating him, we are both in for another round of alpha-blows."

Sesshomaru suppressed a frown at the name of a childish game where young pups tested the strength of their youki and tried to push each other out of a circle. Much as he would like to forcefully ensure his solitude at times, he had not engaged in such antics since...ever, that he could recall. "This one would not bend so low."

"Really?" Hisao's raised brow sent a worm of unease wriggling in the daiyoukai's mind.

"My Lord was most...powerful in his battle against the disease," Kento said diplomatically. Hisao guffawed, and Sesshomaru waited impatiently for explanation. It was not long in coming, and he stared in disbelief as his captain described how he had oppressed everyone within sight - except the miko - with his youki. Hisao's voice grew somber as he spoke of how she had approached, unafraid and seemingly unaffected, and managed to soothe his beast.

"I doubted your wisdom in bringing that woman here." Hisao lowered his head, smelling of apology and shame and something else Sesshomaru couldn't quite place. "I was wrong. No one else could have braved your youki to get to your side. When I discovered that she was a miko, I demanded she be removed from your rooms, my Lord. Removed from the castle." A wave of anger so strong he was sure both Kento and Hisao could smell it, despite his tight control, washed over him. He had melted the flesh from Gekien's arm for attempting to touch what was his. Hisao thought to take her away… Both youkai dropped to their knees before their Lord, fists on their thighs and eyes downcast. "I was worried she would injure you, hurt or kill other demons. I was wrong, Sesshomaru-sama. She is your savior. Our savior."

His anger receded and Sesshomaru considered those words. The miko had truly saved him. It was incomprehensible, and yet, strangely...expected. Right. He pieced together all that he had heard and remembered of his illness. Of her. Her power was immense, exceeded only by her capacity for compassion. And apparently, foolish behavior if she charged into a room filled with his youki without a thought. He was torn between amused exasperation and a delayed, irritating fear. He could have hurt her. He would never have hurt her.

"The most honored guest of this House," Sesshomaru began, then he smiled. A tiny, wicked smile, "will be most pleased to hear your apology - personally." Hisao looked pained but resigned, Kento looked entertained by his old friend's humiliation. The miko would be embarrassed by such a display, but it would reinforce her place. Sesshomaru found himself almost eager to make certain that her station at the castle was secured, that his people respected her. She had Rin and Shippo, children to love and coddle. She had creatures who needed her care and healing. She had safety and comfort at the castle. If she felt respected, perhaps she would…

Sesshomaru's eyes widened a fraction of an inch as he realized what he had been considering all day, without knowing it. He wanted her to stay. She had come to treat the ill. By all accounts she had done so - with exemplary results. Since he left his rooms that morning he had been turning over things to keep her occupied in the West. At the Castle. With him.

He had woken with a sense of peace and languid heat coiling in his belly in a most pleasant fashion. The scent of cherry wood and magnolias was heavy in the air. Her silky hair brushed across his skin and her body was warm against him. He wasn't sure if it was because he was intimately familiar with it, or because she was still aroused from the storm of reiki she released, but he could sense her power. Hidden from everyone...but him. It thrummed inside her like a beast slumbering until it could be released. He reached out with his youki and tested it, and was rewarded with a tingle of response that sent gratifying ripples across his senses and tweaked his ear with gentle, teasing reproof that promised - _later_. For once, he did not question the source of his feelings or the nature of his attraction to the miko. He simply enjoyed her nearness.

When she woke, her scent had stirred with another emotion that it took him a moment to categorize. He had smelled it often enough on other females and been either disinterested or disgusted. Her hint of arousal was uniquely intoxicating, a warm cinnamon that seeped into his pores and lit a slow fire in his blood. The scent had been tempered with excitement and growing wonder as she examined him and realized he was no longer marked by illness. Her hands had traced over him in a way that only a mate should. But strangely, he was not affronted. On the contrary, he held himself motionless in fear that she would stop. That she would regain her usual modest sensibilities that were so at odds with her dress. She took her plump bottom lip between her teeth and Sesshomaru almost forgot right then why he had not simply taken the woman from Inuyasha the first time he had seen her and kept her for himself. Then her embarrassment flared.

Even that was appreciated by his nose. Her emotions flew by so quickly, his senses could barely keep up. Contentment, elation, arousal, embarrassment. He wondered how she could feel so much...and what else she was capable of. He teased her, needled her, just to see her response. She did not disappoint. She gaped and fluttered. Blushed and gasped and frowned. He knew she needed food, perhaps even more than him and he wished briefly he could take the time to hunt down a stag, or a boar, or both. His mokomoko slid along her skin and he was entranced by the dual sensation of her skin on his fur and sweet, spicy cinnamon in his nose. He forced himself to leave her, to bathe and clear his head and let her deal with the pressing needs of a fragile human body. He could not resist one final push, satisfied with an action that both concealed what his eyes sought out from any others and sent a spike of peppery irritation through her.

Such thoughts had been in the back of his mind all day. As he managed the Western Lands he puzzled over what to do with her. He wanted her. He was honest with himself, always, and that was an undeniable truth. She was strong and loyal. He had already accepted that she not only deserved a place in his pack, but would be an excellent addition to his House. To the West. She surprised him, which was difficult for anyone to do. She teased him and pushed him and tested him, and he had only tried to kill her that one time - and he hadn't really known her then. The miko forgave him as well, so that incident could be set aside. She was pleasant company. Even her incessant chatter was often soothing, in its own way. Certainly she was amusing. She was beautiful, intelligent, maternal.

He resettled his mokomoko, only listening with one ear to Hisao and Kento discuss the latest news of the castle. How family packs were coping with loss, how the residents were reacting to the revelation of a miko in their midst. Her scent rose from his fur and he breathed deeply. He wanted her. He would have her. Human or not, she would add to the West. And if he was honest with himself, he did not care about that anymore. He wanted her not for what she could add to his house, his strength, his position. He wanted her for himself.

"I had heard that too, but I did not realize the new title had spread so far."

"You frown, Kento-san. Do you worry she will not be pleased?" Sesshomaru snapped back to full attention.

"Kagome-isha is most deserving, but I am not certain the name will-"

"What name?" Both inuyoukai turned to him. He glared, demanding explanation. If any voiced slurs against-

"Many call her Kagome-sama," Kento replied calmly. "Everyone in the castle is grateful for her eradication of the disease. They wish to show her high respect." Hiseo snorted.

"Respect. Damn near awe. Your servants are falling over themselves to attend her. Her former patients are clamoring to sing praises of her kindness and healing skill. My soldiers debate how strong her power would be in battle against our enemies. Every male in the castle speaks of her beauty." Sesshomaru did not bother to quell the instinct to narrow his eyes and a low vibration pulsed across the room, dragging silence behind it.

Kento cleared his throat, "They all refer to her only in the most honored tones, my Lord. Kagome-isha, Kagome-ue, Kagome-sama-"

"Miko no Mao," Hisao said with a smile. Sesshomaru considered his captain. The demon nodded. "I heard that one in the village late this afternoon and it has already spread up to the castle."

"Hn." Sesshomaru rose, ignoring the audible cracks of his stiff joints and the lingering soreness in his muscles. He handed a last scroll to Kento. "Prepare a report for this one by mid-day tomorrow. Hisao will assist you with news of the North." He left them behind him and made his way to the stairs, gradually picking up speed. Her scent stirred in his fur again and a small smile lifted the corner of his mouth. _Kagome. Miko no Mao, indeed. Priestess of the Demon._


	9. Chapter 9

"Whadaya mean you're stayin'?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. Kagome was too familiar with that pose. He was preparing for a long argument. She sighed.

"I need to check on everyone here, Inuyasha. I still can't believe I healed all of those people at once, and without purifying anyone!"

"Oi! Don't forget about me, wench - and why are you always fryin' _me_ anyhow? Asshole didn't even look singed," he complained.

"Inuyasha-san," Rin warned. The hanyou blushed and Kagome glanced over to the human girl who was helping Shippo lay out a futon on the floor. She wasn't really a little girl anymore, especially not by the standards of the feudal era. Kagome guessed that she was around twelve - although perhaps more. Her lifestyle before she met Sesshomaru was not conducive to healthy, normal growth. She could be small for her age. Kagome covered her mouth to hide a smile. Rin certainly had the presence of an adult when she wanted to. Inuyasha was put in his place with less effort and more success than Kagome had ever managed. Perhaps it was a skill the girl picked up from Sesshomaru.

"Keh," he huffed in apology.

"I already said sorry for that, Inuyasha," Kagome repeated for perhaps the fourth time. "I don't know why it is so hard for me to keep my power from purifying you. Maybe my reiki just has trouble deciding if you are more human or youkai. Or maybe," she considered a new thought, "maybe it just forgets you are there."

"What?" His ears drooped, and Kagome felt awful.

"Not like that!" she reassured hastily. "I mean, you're always with me, since my first day in this era. I think I am so used to you, I just expect you to be there. I don't have to think about it, you're just around when I need you." She smiled, trying to tell him that she didn't mean to slight him. She relaxed when he rolled his eyes and sat down, back against the wall. "I should go around to some of the villages as well. Sesshomaru said that the disease was in several - both human and youkai."

"Don't be thinkin' you're gonna do healing stuff tomorrow or anything. You still look like shit."

"Gee, thanks Inuyasha," Kagome said dryly. She _was_ tired. Exhausted, really. She had eaten a late breakfast by herself, and after discovering Sesshomaru had disappeared, she made use of his bath and laid down on the futon in his antechamber to go back to sleep. She didn't sleep well though, and was almost grateful when Shippo and Rin arrived to wake her up. She ate lunch with Inuyasha and the children and spent most of the afternoon watching them color and listening to her hanyou friend describe all that had happened in the village since she had left. It didn't escape her notice that the rock brothers had discreetly followed her most of the day as well. Inuyasha had, of course, bluntly confronted them, saying that he was more than enough protection for her. Eiichi was only saved from a physical fight by Eiji, who smoothed things over. The two were in the hall still, despite the late hour. She could tell from the twitching of Inuyasha's ears. Unfortunately, she couldn't sense them with her own reiki. At first she had worried that she had broken herself somehow, or used up all of her power. A brief meditation, just like Miroku had taught her, reassured her that her reiki was still there - just resting.

Resting sounded like an excellent idea. Shippo had begged with his huge eyes to stay in Rin's rooms, rather than on the other side of the castle in the guest quarters. Kagome had relented, unable to deny her little two-tails. She felt another burst of pride over his accomplishment. Shippo was still a bit stunned; he kept petting his own tails as if to reassure himself they were there. Kagome admitted that his illusion of the pox-stricken Rin had been very convincing, but despite the new tail she had extracted promises from the kit that he would not use his tricks to frighten innocent people, or demons, in the future. She studied him for a moment as he argued good-naturedly with Rin, he seemed to have grown a bit taller too. She frowned, wondering how fast kitsune developed. Perhaps Sesshomaru could tell her.

A blush returned to her cheeks. She hadn't seen him since the incident that morning, and she wasn't eager to do so until she could look him in the eye without picturing...everything else. Kagome had never thought she could be so attracted to the daiyoukai. He was beautiful, certainly, and well-built, obviously, but he was _Sesshomaru_. He was Inuyasha's cold, murderous older brother. He had tried to kill her once, although...he had been their ally for _years_. Well, almost two years. Or maybe closer to a year and a half. And had even saved her a few times. She forgave him for the first misunderstanding. She would have been upset too, under the circumstances. He didn't even really fight with Inuyasha anymore, not since Naraku's defeat. It was more like...play fighting. Like Souta and his friends wrestling on the lawn. They pushed each other around to see who was strongest, but nobody was seriously hurt. She pictured Sesshomaru pinning Inuyasha in a headlock. The daiyoukai's sleeves pushed up, his muscles tensed, his eyes glowing in triumph and his mouth-

She shook herself. Maybe it would be better if she asked Kento what he knew about kitsune. It would certainly be safer. For her sanity. And her pride. Kagome pushed those thoughts away and washed her face and hands in the basin servants had provided. She gave the children fresh water to do the same, and they all brushed their teeth as well. Even Inuyasha did so, although he grumbled about it. She made a mental note to bring back more toothbrushes the next time she went home. Inuyasha went through them at an alarming rate, and she hadn't seen Rin in months before the sickness came. The pink sparkly child's brush was looking bedraggled, and a bit juvenile for a girl who was nearly a teenager. She brushed everyone's hair, drawing shy thanks from Rin and limp contentment from Shippo. Inuyasha refused, as usual, but she knew he would borrow her comb once everyone was asleep and take care of himself.

Kagome crawled into bed and Shippo cuddled up next to her. Rin lay down on her futon, close to the edge so she could look down at them, "Will you tell us a story, Kagome-sama?" Kagome shook her head. She was a little uncomfortable by the girl's new title for her, but Rin insisted that it was deserved and continued to place her on the same high level as her Lord. _Well, perhaps just a bit lower._ Kagome smiled to herself and smothered a yawn. She tried to think of a short story, but she really _was_ exhausted.

"Please, Kagome," begged Shippo.

"Keh. Kagome's tired, leave her alone, runt."

Rin's eyes grew huge and she turned them on the hanyou, "Inuyasha-san, Rin really needs a story." Kagome wanted to grin. _That is a master at work._

"Eh," he gave in to her puppy-dog face, "I'll tell one tonight." Inuyasha rearranged himself to lean against the open shoji to the anteroom, the outer doors within view so he could protect them, and began, "My mother used to tell me this one. Long, long ago, there lived an old bamboo wood-cutter. He was very poor and sad also, for no child had Heaven sent to cheer his old age…" *****

Kagome smiled as she drifted off to sleep, thankful that her friends were safe. Glad that Inuyasha was taking staying in his brother's house so well. Happy that Sesshomaru was healthy and that she had helped his people like she promised she would. She cuddled Shippo close and wondered when Sesshomaru would rest, and if he ever told bedtime stories to Rin. Sleep claimed her, and she dreamed of long silver hair and white fur.

ooo

She wasn't there. Sesshomaru felt a moment of panic and unreasonable anger. When he left, she had been eating and he was certain she would go back to sleep, she smelled so tired. He left strict instructions with the guards to keep her safe, and yet she was no longer in his rooms. Someone was going to explain why his expectations were not met. It would not be a pleasant conversation. A servant followed him into the anteroom and quietly began setting out a meal. Sesshomaru ignored the ravenous calls of his stomach and followed his nose back into the hallway. He turned one corner, heading towards the other end of the castle, and immediately found his quarry.

The guards stood in front of Rin's rooms. They sensed his arrival and lowered their heads with respect, but did not move from their positions. He reached out with his senses and relaxed fractionally when he found Kagome, most likely sleeping considering her steady heartbeat and even breath, alongside Rin and Shippo. Distaste soured his relief. The hanyou was there as well, once again mixing his scent with the miko's. He entered without a glance at the rock demons and found his half-brother, hand on the hilt of his sword, guarding the doorway into Rin's sleeping room. The girl was buried deep underneath her bedding, head covered as usual, only one arm poking out to flop onto the futon below her. Her fingers tangled in the kit's red hair.

The miko was turned towards him, her pale face calm, her pink lips parted in a ghost of a smile. His youki smoothed out at the sight, he hadn't realized it was agitated...until it no longer was. She wasn't where he had left her, but she hadn't gone far. The miko was safe, and he could make her aware of her new quarters later. No doubt the kit needed her reassuring presence after the unsettling days of illness and worry when he could not see her. The hanyou, on the other hand…

Sesshomaru turned narrowed eyes on Inuyasha, who met him with an equally irritated expression. There was no need for the hanyou to be in Rin's rooms. And since Sesshomaru had decided he would keep the miko, there was no need for Inuyasha to be at the castle at all. He would not wake her, she was sleeping peacefully and needed the rest. The guards would watch over her - and this time they would alert him if she changed rooms. He still needed to eat, and Inuyasha needed to know how things would be. His chest rumbled in a low command that had Inuyasha straightening, eyes wide, and the kit twitching in his sleep. Sesshomaru gestured with a slight tilt of his head for the hanyou to follow him, then returned to his rooms. He paused only to give precise instructions to Eiji and Eiichi - and notify them of very personal consequences should they fail.

Inuyasha was a few steps behind him, but he followed back to Sesshomaru's anteroom and leaned casually against the wall while the older brother sat down to eat. The daiyoukai could have swallowed a wild boar whole, but he set a sedate pace as he served himself a bowl of meat and cup of tea. He had almost finished his second helping when Inuyasha finally exploded. Sesshomaru was surprised; he hadn't expected the hanyou to have so much patience.

"What the fuck do you want, asshole?" His tone was disrespectful and nearing petulant, as usual, but he did not make any aggressive movements, which was unusual. Perhaps the pup was maturing. After almost a quarter millennia, not counting the time he spent pinned to the God tree, it was high time.

"This Sesshomaru informs you that the miko will no longer need your protection. She is staying in the West."

"No shit, she already told me." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and Sesshomaru paused. He hadn't expected his half-brother to take the news so well. Nor had he considered that Kagome might agree with his intention - and inform the hanyou. Sesshomaru would have secured her acquiescence shortly, but it was gratifying to know she had reached the same decision on her own. "Your rock guards are okay for here in the castle," Inuyasha continued, "but I'll stick around until Kagome is finished up and take her back to Edo. There ain't much to do there in the winter anyhow, and Kagome is slow as hell. If I don't carry her she'll-"

Sesshomaru was across the room before his chopsticks hit the table. One claw held his half-brother's sword hand immobile, the other gripped Inuyasha's throat. _No one takes what is mine. _He could feel his youki rising, tensing for a fight. The miko would stay in the Western Lands. And no other male would carry her, would touch her, ever again. His lip pulled back from his teeth and Inuyasha's eyes widened before he scowled and punched Sesshomaru in the face.

"What's wrong with you, fucker? If you want to fight, then let's do this!" He lashed out with one foot that Sesshomaru didn't bother trying to dodge. He accepted the blow and responded by squeezing his brother's throat. Youki flared around him.

"She stays," he growled. Inuyasha snarled, then hesitated.

"You _want_ her here?" His voice was a little garbled, but that was understandable with the claws sunk into his neck. Sesshomaru's youki responded in the affirmative, lashing out and sending Inuyasha a firm message to put him in his place. "You didn't ask, didja?"

Sesshomaru bared his teeth and repeated his command, "She stays."

Inuyasha laughed. The sound was unsettling. Not just because it was inappropriate, given the situation, but without enough air it had a wheezing, high-pitched quality that hurt the daiyoukai's ears. He let go of the hanyou and swiftly moved out of range. The laughter didn't stop, but grew in intensity, until Inuyasha was rolling around on the floor. "What is the meaning of this?" His tone promised deadly intent, but his half-brother ignored it, grabbing his ribs and struggling for breath.

"You- you think-" Laughter overcame him again, and Sesshomaru briefly wondered if insanity ran in Izayoi's family, it certainly didn't come from the pup's demon side. "Oh man, I can't wait 'til she hears this. Finally, someone else gets to know what it's like to be on her bad side." He managed to sit up against the wall, and his chuckles died down, but he was grinning. Sesshomaru couldn't repress a tiny frown. It was troubling that he seemed unable to control his own responses where the miko was concerned. First Gekien, then he threatened Hisao, then Inuyasha...although he had injured Inuyasha more grievously while _sparring_. However, he never lost his temper with the hanyou. For a moment, he had been acting completely on instinct. It was not a comfortable sensation, to lose himself to his emotions. He needed to consider the implications with calm logic. Unfortunately, there were more pressing matters ahead of him.

"You do not believe the miko will remain," he stated. Inuyasha didn't answer, but his eyes, so human and full of emotion, sparkled with gleeful malice. Sesshomaru was loathe to admit that he lacked knowledge of any sort, especially to his half-brother. Especially regarding the miko. However, he refused to accept defeat in his desire to have her, and if there was strategic advantage in what the hanyou knew… "Why?"

"You're askin' me? Oh, fuck no, this is gonna be _too_ good! She's gonna turn you out like a muddy pup and jump back down the well so fast you'll swear she can fly." _Insolence_. Sesshomaru wanted to rip out his tongue for taunting him. It would grow back...eventually. _Hn._ Perhaps there was another way to get information from the idiot.

"She stayed with you."

"I didn't make her, you baka. She stayed 'cause she loves me." The easy reply was not what Sesshomaru expected, or desired. Hot flames of rage seared his stomach and burned his blood. The miko _loved_ the hanyou. A human sentiment, but he knew it was powerful. _Hers should not be given to Inuyasha._ Sesshomaru was not prepared for the rush of feeling that overcame him, and his control slipped for a moment. Inuyasha's eyes widened, and the daiyoukai immediately lashed iron bands around his emotions. Too late. Inuyasha sniffed dramatically, and his eyes narrowed. "Oh _hell_ no." He growled and crouched in a fighting position. "No fuckin' way."

"Hn." Sesshomaru decided no response was wisest. Inuyasha's nose wasn't even half as sensitive as his own, but it was still just as good as most full inuyoukai. He would have smelled Sesshomaru. It only remained to be seen if the hanyou could accurately decipher the scent.

"You- you're jealous? You want her? _You_ think you have the_ fuckin'_ right to want_ her_, you asshole!" Sesshomaru braced himself, and was hit by a snarling ball of red and silver. They crashed through the shoji screen and into his private garden. Snow was falling, and it blanketed the ground, softening their impact and tingling the bare soles on Sesshomaru's feet. He grappled with his half-brother, trying to reign in his own instincts when he caught her scent on the hanyou. She had touched him, probably embraced him. Sesshomaru snapped his teeth and shoved, throwing Inuyasha away with a powerful thrust to crash into the rock walls of the secluded garden. With surprising grace, and quick reflexes for a half-demon, Inuyasha flipped and hit feet first. He sprang off of the stone and launched himself again. "She's too good for you!" Sesshomaru was ready with extended claws.

Inuyasha saw the danger in time to change course, but not quick enough to completely avoid the deadly weapons. They raked across the side of his head and neck, drawing blood and snagging the threads of the fire rat. _How dare he_, Sesshomaru seethed. _How dare he try to keep her from me?_ He charged and with lightning swiftness slammed his fist into the hanyou's gut and slashed his claws through the place where his face had been only moments before. His half-brother dodged the second attack, landing a blow of his own to Sesshomaru's lower back as he twisted and rolled away from the fight.

"You heartless sonofabitch, what makes you think you are even good enough to look at her like _that_?" His shouted accusations only made Sesshomaru angrier. He could feel his youki rising, even as he tried desperately to tie it down and curb the instincts screaming at him to kill, to destroy, to end the existence of one who was weaker than him. One who made claim to_ her_. _Kagome._ He darted forward, only to have Inuyasha feint. Sesshomaru's face split with a savage grin, seeing the ploy for what it was. He anticipated the movement and caught his brother with a blow to the chest, throwing him back into the bathhouse. Wood splintered and cracked and he circled, prowling, waiting for the hanyou that would touch what was his to rise and make a target of himself.

"She stays," he snarled. It was a promise, a vow, a pledge not to his half-brother, but to himself. He would not let her go. Inuyasha rose unsteadily, shaking his head and preparing to attack again. The miko was _his_, and she _would_ be with him, at his side. There was no other choice, no other path. He would accept nothing less. He would do whatever it took to keep her, to make her stay, to see that this was where she belonged. With him. Dokusou dripped from his claws. He would even-

"_What_ are you doing?" Her voice cut through the haze of desperate rage that had nearly consumed him. He did not have to look over his shoulder to know she stood at the narrow tunnel that led to the larger family gardens and Rin's rooms. "Are you _trying_ to kill him?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and prepared for her anger. He could smell it coming off of her in waves. Thick, heavy pepper burned his nose, followed by the sharp bite of her concern. She stomped forward and he did his best to smother everything inside him in a frozen lake of apathy. He would deal with it later. He would find a way to soothe her, to make her see reason. She would be angry for a time, but she would stay. He would find a way. "Sit." The command plunged Inuyasha to the ground. Sesshomaru had the briefest impression of wide, shocked golden eyes, and then the beads of subjugation glowed and his half-brother was tasting the rich earth of his garden. He blinked, not sure what to think of that. _The miko defends me._ A sweet, warm blanket of pleasure wrapped around him - made even better by its unexpected nature.

Then, she ripped it away. "And you!" She rounded on him, eyes blazing with blue fury. "I just got you fixed up. What do you think you are doing antagonizing him? You are his _older_ brother, act like it! There is no reason for you to constantly assert yourself! Grow up," she was snarling, he keenly felt the loss of that strange feeling of comfort and at the same time admired her ferocity. "I don't know why I bother with either of you!" She threw up her hands and the daiyoukai realized exactly what she had done to him. For a moment, he felt as he had before he met her. Cold. Empty. Unfinished. _She wouldn't bother with him._ He had to turn his face away, fearing even _his_ mask would crumble under the terrifying nothing that expanded before him. He closed his eyes and held his breath, unwilling to even smell her delicious scent when it became coated with disgust as he feared it would.

A soft, small hand cupped his cheek and his eyes flew open. She was there, in front of him, her face crumpled with worry. She still smelled of anger and concern and exhaustion. But there was also more, so many more complex scents and feelings that he could not sort them all out. "Are you all right?"

"Him!" Inuyasha shouted, outraged, as he finally freed himself of the spell, "What about me?" She didn't turn around, but her face tightened.

"He has been very sick, and recently - thoroughly purified. He shouldn't be playing around with you right now!"

"Playing! What the fuck, wench! You think he was playing with that _poison_?" The claw marks on his face were already mending, but Sesshomaru knew the hanyou would be sore for several hours.

"Unless you want to be eating dirt again you should watch what you say, Inuyasha." Her voice was deadly calm, and her fingers were stiff with tension against his face. He was captivated by the authority she demanded. "Or maybe you would like to see what it feels like to have my reiki crawling around inside _you_? Hmmm?" A wave of violently possessive rage nearly consumed him, she belonged to him. No other would feel her power, her _self_, in such an intimate way. Inuyasha's pale face was reassuring. Clearly the miko had not gifted him with the same exclusive experience he had been privileged to. Or perhaps the hanyou was not strong enough to bear up under her power. _She is meant for me alone._ His youki flared in agreement.

"Ka-go-me," Inuyasha said softly. It was almost a whimper.

"Inuyasha," she said quietly, "You broke my bath."

Sesshomaru would have laughed. If he were anyone else, in any other moment, he would have laughed at the expression of absolute horror and stark terror on the hanyou's face as he realized the growing puddle he was standing in was formerly a bathhouse. A bathhouse that the fastidious Kagome had used and appreciated. She was _extremely _fond of her baths. Sesshomaru recalled that fact about her and filed it away for future reference. In the meantime, he was gratified to see Inuyasha's ears flatten against his head.

"I didn't mean to wake you up, Kagome," he whispered by way of apology.

"Go watch over Shippo and Rin." His half-brother clearly didn't appreciate her imperious tone, but he slowly obeyed, shuffling towards the narrow path cut into the mountain and Rin's rooms. "I am going to make sure Sesshomaru is okay." He would have denied that the hanyou could have injured him in any way, if not for Inuyasha's immediate protest, and her swift denial. "He is my patient, Inuyasha. Get your ass. Out of my sight. Or you'll be a patient too." She seized Sesshomaru's hand before Inuyasha had even disappeared and started a determined march towards the destroyed shoji screens and his anterooms. The snow was falling thicker, catching on her waist-length hair and melting on the light material of her sleeping robe.

Sesshomaru contemplated many things while she pulled him into his sleeping quarters and directed him to the futon. She dug through the bag on his floor, her round bottom high in the air and covered only by thin silk, muttering, "Arrogant youkai, always have to prove something...Neanderthals...testosterone...brains of a flea…" She was strong and determined. Magnolias and round curves. She had her own mind and was not hesitant to protest his decisions or make her own thoughts known. It was part of the intricate puzzle that made her unique. That made her Kagome. Cherry wood and enticing shadows. He decided he would not want to keep her if it meant she would have to lose that part of herself. Perhaps the hanyou was marginally correct; perhaps he needed to strategize. She might need more than just a command. He might even have to present her with reasons. Maybe even...compromise.

She gave a triumphant shake that drew his eyes back to her curves. She had found what she was looking for and glided toward him. He sat patiently while she used her flash-light to look in his eyes and mouth. Before she could lift the end of her listening tubes, he removed his shirt, reassured and supremely satisfied by the thick scent of cinnamon she tried to smother. She pressed her hands against his chest and listened to his heart and he allowed himself a small smile while she wasn't looking. He would plan an appropriate course of attack for this particular prey. She was cunning and rare, and worth the effort of a long and challenging chase. When she brought out her device to measure the heat of his body, he scooted backward, forcing her to kneel on the futon to put the stick in his mouth. His mokomoko secured itself around her while she counted, waiting for the stick to be ready. She was his. She would stay. She withdrew the stick and frowned when she read it.

"Too warm still, I think," she muttered. He seized the stick and tossed it into her bag.

"My Isha decreed rest," he replied. He used his youki to create a breeze that blew out the only lantern still lit in the sleeping room. Gilded by the flickering shadows made by the candles in the anteroom against the closed shoji screens, her skin glowed, her eyes wide with surprise and trust. She would stay, because _she_ wanted to. He would make it so. He lay back onto the futon, pulling the bedding over them both. She squeaked in protest, but he ignored her sounds, focusing on what her scent told him instead. He smiled in the darkness, sensing success was very close indeed.

ooo

Ryukostokken prowled through the snow that drifted across the battlements of his castle. It melted under his boots, leaving a trail of water that quickly re-froze into icy puddles. He had not heard from his spy in over a week, and he was growing restless without any new information. He had expected news sooner, of the pup's worsening condition - if not his death. Ryukostokken breathed deeply of the frigid air. Winter was upon Japan. He could smell a hard, heavy storm moving south. It would lock the Western lands in cold and make any defense they had managed to construct while battling the illness easy to overcome. He blew out, sending a gust of steam and ash into the air.

The half-blood spy would return soon enough, and the waiting, while tedious, only meant that Sesshomaru's suffering was prolonged that much further. The dragon lord smiled. He relished the thought of striding across a battlefield littered with the dead of the West to meet the pup. Seeing his pride wracked, his legendary face ruined by scars, his forces decimated by casualties of the disease; it would be worth the wait. In the meantime, he would inspect his army. They were restless, but he would make his move soon. First the West would fall. Then all of Japan would follow. Ryuu jumped onto the wall and looked to the stone courtyard far below. He would crush them all below his heel. A bellow of pent up rage, of anticipation, of triumph echoed in the Northern castle, and those few who did not know the source felt the hairs on the backs of their necks raise. Those that recognized the voice of their Lord, trembled in terror.

ooo

*_The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child_, a Japanese folktale from World of Tales .

ooo

**Thank you to all of my reviewers. Your advice has been insightful and constructive and your praise has been fantastic.**


	10. Chapter 10

Ryukostokken ignored the captain at his side, looking over the small bands of warriors arrayed before him. There were only a few in each group, but those dragon demons had been trained in stealth and assassination for decades. They would not fail him. The time to reveal himself was close. Snow was falling heavily in the North, and the storms would reach into the heart of Japan soon. He smiled, baring his fangs and prowling across a low rise that looked out over the border of the Northern Lands. This would be his third move in the game he played against the pup. Sesshomaru had not even known he was under attack, but he would soon realize that there was a more powerful force working against him. Ryukostokken felt a surge of greedy anticipation, imagining the skinny little pup, his pretty face ravaged by pox, lying weak in his castle with the dead bodies of his servants around him. He wondered if the human whore had survived, and felt almost gleeful adding her decaying body to the scene in his mind. The pup, just like his father, grieving over a weak human. Pathetic. Perfect.

"Send them out," he commanded.

"At once, Ryukostokken-denkaue." The captain, scarred as he was, issued orders to the men. Each band was sent out to a pre-designated sector in the Eastern Lands. They would harass the population there, decimate villages that had survived the pox, disrupt trade routes, and gain information. Once the Eastern Lord was sufficiently occupied and crippled from disease and border incursions, then… Ryukostokken smiled, leaping into the air and grabbing hold of the sightless wind youkai that served as his transport. She bent the currents to his destination without speaking. Long experience had taught her that the Northern Lord was not appreciative of youkai that were not dragons. Or females that did not know their place. She knew hers.

Ryukostokken stood behind the demoness and gripped her hair, drawing a sharp noise of pain. The wind witch knew her place, as did all in his domain. Once he regained all that rightfully belonged to him, he would remind other youkai why the demons were the oldest, had survived the longest. They were the most powerful and they were made to rule all others. The humans too, those he did not slaughter or feed to his armies, would know their place. He was reminded again of the image of Sesshomaru - weak and struggling for life. Perhaps it would be better if his human woman had not died from the pox. Ryukostokken growled in excitement, his fist tightening and drawing another wince from the female. He pictured the human at Sesshomaru's side, fearful as a great dragon approached to rip out the heart of the pup. Everyone would know the place he allowed them, and even a human whore could retain a position in Ryukostokken's empire. He would show her where her kind belonged, and treat her to the power of a true daiyoukai while her lord looked on. That would be best. Sesshomaru would be inflicted with the pain of knowing Ryukostokken had taken everything from him: his health, his beauty, his power, his title, his lands, and people. His woman.

The dragon lord smiled, eager for all that would come.

ooo

Kagome smiled weakly as another demon bowed before her, "Thank you, Miko-sama. Thank you." It had been going on for hours. At first she was embarrassed and surprised, but after the first five or six times, it had morphed into a sort of surreal acceptance. She thanked the lower level bird youkai with his beaky face and trailing head feathers and wished him continued good health. The bird beamed, and backed away, continuing to bow and offer thanks.

"I really wish they would stop that," Kagome sighed. She had started out that morning intending to visit Jun. Eiichi and Eiji trailed behind her, escorting her through a maze of corridors and shadowed gardens between the castle and into the infirmary. Jun's reaction should have been the first indicator that things were not as they had been at the Western Palace.

"Miko-sama," Jun left his place straightening pallets to bow low before her. "You honor me with your presence. What may I do to assist you?"

"Please, Jun-san," she tried to brush off the strange feeling his extreme respect gave her, "I have asked you to call me Kagome. Just Kagome."

"I could not, you must not sink so low, Miko-sama."

"At least not miko, then? You worked so hard alongside me, I feel we know each other well enough for names, Jun-san."

"Kagome-sama, then." He grinned, revealing the fangs of his inuyoukai heritage and settled into an easier discussion on the status of all of the former patients. She spent an hour with him, while the rock twins waited patiently outside, debating how her reiki worked and the possible implications for youki and holy power working in concert. She promised to return once she was confident she had rested enough so that they could run some experiments. When she stepped back out into the sunshine, she found Rin waiting with Kento. She had no doubt that Jun had alerted his cousin to her whereabouts. Kento offered to escort her wherever she wished to go, and no amount of protesting that two guards was already overdoing it seemed to make any difference. She finally gave in, unwilling to spoil the happy mood she woke up with. Kagome decided that she would ask him to be her tour guide for the day, if Sesshomaru didn't need him.

"My Lord has other occupation this morning, Kagome-sama, leaving me at your service. Might I suggest the formal pavilion? It is surrounded by-" Rin interrupted, eager to show her the village. She quickly agreed, as an entire village of demons - all living under the peace of the Western Lord - sounded very interesting.

Her issues started before she even made it out of the courtyard. A pair of female servants approached them, wide-eyed and smiling behind their hands, and bowed low before Kagome, the Miko-sama. The guards at the gate went so far as to kneel in front of the 'Miko-sama'. Kento explained that their families, both mates and three children between them, had been stricken with smallpox. Sesshomaru's secretary seemed to be expecting the behavior; the rock brothers stoically ignored it. Rin smiled and greeted many of the demons they met. Kagome was the only one who was discomfited.

The bows and thanks only increased in frequency as they made their way through the lower bailey. An apothecary approached with a shallow basket filled with herbs. He offered her his thanks for healing himself and his grandchild, and then humbly offered her the basket for her use. Kagome thanked him and offered him wishes for good health and prosperity, something her grandfather often said to tourists at the shrine. The demon, he had a vaguely monkey-like appearance with soft brown fur on his head and a beard that framed his face like a mane, begged her to stay a moment, and disappeared inside his shop. He returned a moment later with a much smaller, pink-faced version of himself. The child stood by shyly, gripping his grandfather's robes.

"Miko-sama, if it pleases you, would you bless my grandson as well?" Kagome had never felt so honored and awkward before. Denying that she was special or skilled enough to bless anyone would only insult the demons, which was not something she wanted to do. She figured that a blessing was a blessing, and even if she didn't have the kind of holy power that Miroku did, at the very least her words might make the apothecary feel better. It couldn't hurt. She knelt before the child and spoke as softly as she could, trying to remember some of the blessings she had written for the family shrine.

"My name is Kagome, what's yours?"

"Haruko," he whispered.

"Haruko-kun, that is a very good name. Do you want to make medicine like your grandfather when you grow up?"

"Yeah." He turned to look at her and gave her a small smile. She selected a flowering herb from the basket, one that represented good fortune, and held it out to the boy.

When he reached for it, she spoke, "_May you have future blessings of happiness in the path of your mind and heart_." Kagome released his hands and stood, bowing slightly. "Thank you very much for the flowers, Chemist-san." The apothecary's mouth hung open and the child looked dazed, and a little bit awed. Rin took her arm and led her away as a small crowd gathered around the monkey demon.

"It is so nice that everyone likes Kagome-sama now!"

"Y-yes," Kagome responded, unsure if she really preferred stares and deep bows to being ignored. Although it was better than being called a loose woman. She sighed, trying to look on the bright side.

"Rin is excited to show you all of her favorite places. Rin does not get to come to the village very often, as Sesshomaru-sama or Kento-san must go with her, and they are very busy. Now that Kagome-sama lives here too, we can visit often!"

"Rin," Kagome said, startled. She didn't want to dim the girl's excitement, but she also didn't want to mislead her on how long she would be staying. After all, she was a guest, she didn't live at the castle.

"I believe Rin would enjoy showing you the shops, Kagome-sama. The Western Lands are very prosperous. Sesshomaru-sama has brought fortune to us by securing trade with…" Kagome listened to Kento's lesson on economics in feudal Japan, made far more interesting than the classes she had taken by descriptions of various demons and demonic items that played a role. Rin interjected with funny comments about how a certain trader or lord acted and whose goods were used at the castle itself. Throughout their walk, she was always conscious of the stares. By the time the bird-demon approached, she was the recipient of a loaf of sweet-smelling black bread, an evergreen wreath with blue berries, a strange cake of soap that had no scent, and a packet of tea. She was more grateful for the apothecary's gift of the basket with each step.

"Here, Kagome-sama, this is Rin's favorite shop!" Her delighted exclamations drew the attention of the shopkeeper - although she must have known they were approaching considering the whispers that ran ahead of them through the village. Despite the chilly weather and the light coating of snow on the ground, a tented stall was doing brisk business in front of a two story stone structure. It was one of the more impressive houses in the village.

Rin skipped ahead, and Kento explained, "Aki-san is a spider demon." Kagome shivered a bit; her history with spider demons was not a good one. She squared her shoulders and smiled, determined not to let Naraku color her first impression of one of Sesshomaru's people. "Her sisters and cousins have trading posts across Japan, and have married into the demon clans on the mainland. They procure the most exotic and unusual cloth, from human and demonic sources - and some others that they will not share the origin of. Sesshomaru-sama's garments are all made from her wares." He was proud of her, she could tell from the warmth in his tone. Kento paused as they drew closer and lowered his voice, "I believe the Inu no Taisho made his last purchase of fire rat cloth from her as well."

"Miko-sama," Aki crossed her ankles and dipped into a graceful bow, hands clasped before her, "you honor me with your presence." Kagome nodded, and something in her wanted to like the merchant immediately, despite her nature. Her skin was darker than most Japanese, a smooth caramel color that in the future Kagome would have said spoke to a blended heritage. Her hair was an inky blue-black and was bound with silk cord into a rope that fell to her waist. Her eyes were purple, and shone with iridescence that twitched with glimmers of green and gold. Her outer kimono matched her eyes, and the only decoration she used was a heavily embroidered obi that was covered in depictions of plants and animals too detailed for Kagome to examine without rudely staring.

"Aki-san made my kimono herself, Kagome-sama," Rin said with a twirl. The green material was softer than even the finest cotton in the future, and thick enough to keep the human girl warm in the cold air. Tiny flowers trailed along the neckline and pooled at the hems, the white thread glittered with traces of gold that also limned the orange obi at her waist. It was a work of art. It also reminded Kagome of the thinness of her own kimono. Despite the heavy shawl a servant had procured for her that morning, it was still chilly. She shivered.

"It is beautiful, Rin." She turned to Aki and gave her a small bow, "Your work is amazing, Aki-san. Anyone would be privileged to wear such fine garments. It is no wonder that Sesshomaru-sama is always so well attired." The demoness was smiling, so Kagome ventured a small joke, "Although I do not envy how often you must replace them. White does not seem practical for one who walks through the forest."

Aki's smile grew wider and she replied, "Dirt would not harm my fabrics, Kagome-sama, they are demonic in nature." Her eyes sparkled. "That forest path is also one of conquest - which results in an unfortunate amount of demon blood."

Kagome laughed, "I'm sure it is difficult to get out of silk. I have a hard time cleaning my own clothes, although Sesshomaru-sama is significantly less messy than I am."

"My Lord seeks perfection in all things." Kagome laughed again, and Aki joined in, both aware of how the diplomatic answer was not necessarily a compliment of Sesshomaru. A small crowd had gathered around the stall, kept a respectful distance back by Eiichi and Eiji. Kento stood ready to explain anything to her, while Rin looked through bolts of silks and more exotic material.

"May Shippo-kun have new clothes, Kagome-sama?" Rin held up a handful of blue cloth that shifted and warped the light, for a moment Kagome wasn't sure there was anything there at all. It was amazing and Shippo would love it, she knew. He needed new clothes too, he had definitely grown taller. She hesitated; it had to cost a fortune.

"I don't-"

Kento interrupted her, "Please put this on our bill, Aki-san. Kagome-sama's kitsune will come by to be measured." Kagome was ready to protest, but Kento smiled and continued, "My Lord has directed that all your needs be met, Kagome-sama."

"But this is really too-"

"You mustn't insult a demon as old as me, Kagome-sama." Aki smiled and produced a paper-wrapped package. "I have worked very hard to make clothes for you as Sesshomaru-sama ordered. I would be most offended if you refused them." A grin revealed her small fangs, "And my Lord would be most…"

"Displeased?" Kagome finished weakly. Aki laughed and the miko tucked the package in with her other gifts. It was too much; she really shouldn't...but then, Sesshomaru obviously knew what it cost. It wasn't like he couldn't afford it. _He is probably horrified that I'll wear my future clothes around the castle._ That thought comforted her, reminding her that Sesshomaru's intentions had nothing to do with her, personally. "Thank you, Aki-san." She bowed again, and considered the demoness. She didn't have any money, or anything really that she could give the merchant to show her appreciation. Unless…she bit her lip, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. "I have little to offer but my thanks, but I would give you and your shop a blessing, if you would receive it?"

"That is most generous, Kagome-sama, but as you can see I am already blessed with good fortune. Please, there are many others who would benefit more from your gift." Kagome nodded, worried she had overstepped, and would have turned away if not for Kento's hand on her arm.

"You should take it, Aki-san," Kento said quietly. Kagome was surprised by the seriousness in his voice, and the warmth of familiarity. The spider demoness stiffened.

"That isn't-"

"Please."

That single word stopped Aki's protests cold. Kagome stared between the inuyoukai and the beautiful cloth merchant, wondering what was going on.

"I will gratefully accept your blessing on my house. Follow me, Miko-sama, if you please." Kagome wasn't given the chance to tell her she could say the blessing outside, as Kento led her into the house behind Aki. Once the door had closed behind them, Aki continued, "I am without child, Miko-sama. If you are willing and able, I would ask that you honor me with blessings of fertility." She threw a poisonous glance at Kento, "Although there are many that can claim the same misfortunate, who have less to comfort them."

"If there is a possibility, would you not want to try?" Kento did not actually move, but his youki stirred, and Kagome was caught in a strange position of seeing the pale blue energy of the inuyoukai brush against Aki and tease out a darker blue power that twined with his - almost like they were holding hands. She gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth, staring at them with wide eyes.

"You're a couple," she blurted. The youki almost instantly withdrew. "Oh, no, I didn't mean to surprise you, especially if it is a secret. Is it a secret? Is it because you are different kinds of demons, is that not good?" Her eyes narrowed, "Has Sesshomaru forbidden-"

"No," Kento said shortly.

Akii spoke at the same time, "Are you so familiar with our Lord?"

"Aki refuses to mate me, as she was not able to bear children with her first mate. He was a spider also, and it can be more difficult for demons of different backgrounds to have pups."

"Hatchlings," Aki corrected. She considered Kento critically. "You must really think she can help. You would never share so much personal information otherwise." She nodded and stepped forward, having reached her decision. "Please, Miko-sama, will you bless me?" It was asking a lot, Kagome knew that. These were two people who were deeply in love, if their youki was any indication, and their most tightly held desire was children. _Children._ Her heart melted. She would do everything she could to make things right for them. She took Aki's hands in her own, noting how smooth and soft her skin was, the strength of her muscles, the deceptive delicacy of her bones. Gently, she reached out for her reiki, giving it a nudge to wake it up. Her power was sleepy and responded sluggishly, but it came to her fingertips as she urged it along. She held it, right under her skin, and looked into Aki's hesitant eyes.

"It is alright, my love," Kento said softly to the demoness. "Do not be afraid."

Kagome knew - she _knew_ - that this was the right thing to do. She didn't have to think about it, or even push her reiki out. It slid slowly from her fingers, drawing a small gasp of shock from Aki as the warmth wound around her wrists before sinking under the skin. Kagome was lost in a brief world of sensation and knowledge of Aki. It was not as all-consuming as her examination of Sesshomaru had been. She focused on that part of Aki that would carry a child, and was surprised, and somewhat comforted to see the similarities she shared with humans. It only took a few minutes, and Kagome was very glad she had finished her course on reproductive biology with high marks. She recognized the symptoms of a polycystic ovaries, and with a soft, gradual application of reiki she relaxed and eased Aki's body so that she would become fertile again. As her power withdrew, the modern medical practitioner in her made her examine Kento as well. Problems conceiving were not only attributable to the woman, despite what feudal men would say about it. She considered what she found and applied her power before calling her reiki back to her and opening her eyes. Both demons were staring at her in shock.

"I did what I could, but it is only temporary. The effects will eventually go away, I'd say in a year or two, although possibly sooner. I am not very familiar with-" She pressed a hand to her head as a wave of dizziness hit her. Both Kento and Aki reached for her, but she waved them away. "I'll be fine. Besides," she grinned, knowing she was blushing but too happy with the results of her healing and the consequences for Kento and Aki to care, "I think you might have more important things to do than worry over me right now." Kento frowned.

"Thank you, Kagome-sama, but if you are unwell, we should return to the castle. Sesshomaru-sama would be most displeased if anything happened to you."

"I know," she laughed shakily, "he'd hate to have to go to the trouble of finding another human priestess." Aki opened her mouth, shaking her head,

"You misunderstand, Miko-sama-"

"Kagome, please," the miko insisted.

"Kagome-sama," Aki relented, "My Lord does not-" She stopped abruptly as Kento appeared at her side, breathing deeply. "Ah, Kento-san?" The inuyoukai leaned closer, running his nose along her chin and neck, sniffing.

"You are entering heat," his voice was husky and his youki trembled with retrained need.

"You can smell that?" Kagome immediately clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Heat," Aki said in confusion. Then her hands flew to her belly, "It worked so soon?" Kento's face was buried in the joint of her neck and shoulder, and Kagome backed up to the door. As interested as she was in youkai senses and mating rituals, the couple needed privacy. "Thank you, Kagome-sama, thank you." There were tears in the demoness' eyes and Kagome nodded with a smile and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Most of the crowd had dispersed, and those that were left seemed inclined to watch in curiosity rather than ask for a blessing or offer thanks. She asked Rin to help her close up the stall; clouds heavy with snow were piling up ominously in the sky. Kagome hated to think of the fine cloth being ruined. Eiji frowned, staring at her, and waved over a nearby shopkeeper to take care of it instead.

"We will return to the castle," Eiichi stated.

"You look tired, Kagome-sama," Eiji finished with a worried look. Kagome had to admit she was grateful for Rin's arm to lean on as they walked back. The younger girl even carried the basket. A cold wind picked up as they walked, plastering Kagome's kimono against her legs and making her shiver. She knew she was slowing them down, but she was just so _tired_. Fat, angry flakes began to fall and she stopped, waving the others on.

"Go on, I'll catch up. I don't want Rin to catch cold." She was panting with effort, and she felt dizzy again, but she smiled so that they wouldn't feel they had to stay. It really was getting bad out, and Rin had been sick so recently… The rock brothers shared a look and stepped forward, each taking the arm of one woman.

"Please permit us, Kagome-sama -" Eiji began.

"- to travel faster," Eiichi continued. Kagome nodded, relieved enough to be carried that she wasn't concerned with how undignified she would look riding on someone's back in a kimono. Rin clapped with glee and latched on to Eiichi's arm. Youki flared. There was a rumble, darkness settled over her, and Kagome felt as though her breath had been knocked out. Everything around her was warm and still and close. Then she was standing at the base of the stone steps of the castle, staring at Eiji as a cloud of dust settled around them. The courtyard under her feet rippled from the disturbance of their passage, and then settled back into place as though they had not just reshaped earth and stone.

"Rock demons!" Rin said happily, clearly excited about their mode of transportation.

Kagome pressed a hand to her head, willing her headache away and smiling wryly, "Rock demons, of course." Then she fainted.

ooo

When Sesshomaru had awoken that morning, it was to a warm softness pressing against him and the scent of cherry wood and magnolias. He breathed deeply, refusing to open his eyes for a moment. _Kagome._ She was stretched on top of him, her head tucked against his chest and her arms wrapped around his waist. So much smaller than him, her feet dangled just below his knees, tucked between them and burrowing into him for warmth. It placed her flat stomach level with his groin, and the moment he noticed that, he also noticed how _right_ she felt in his arms. Her breasts pressed against him, the thin robe doing little to conceal their shape and weight. His desire was aroused, and for a moment he considered waking her to a demonstration of why she would stay with him. Then he recalled Inuyasha's taunt, _'ya didn't ask her, didja?'_. He refused to admit any miscalculation to the hanyou, but he did recognize that knowledge born of longer acquaintance was a tactical advantage. Perhaps verbal discussion would be the best course of action. If it failed, he could always move on to demonstration.

She smelled relaxed, and he could tell she was still deeply asleep. Carefully, he shifted, sitting up and cradling the female against him. It was only just beginning to lighten outside, but without the bedding, the room was quite cold. Kagome shivered. _Walls are essential to heat retention. They will be repaired immediately to address the miko's comfort_. He found his mokomoko on the futon and it wrapped around her, alleviating her shivers and easing her back into deep slumber. He made certain she was completely covered, enjoying the way she rubbed her cheek against his skin, before he opened the screens to his anteroom. The remains of the wall looked worse in the light of dawn, and Sesshomaru stepped through the snow that had blown in during the night to move into the corridor. With a brief effort of youki, he summoning Eiichi and Eiji to the family quarters.

He slipped into Rin's rooms without waking her, to discover Inuyasha and Shippo already awake inside. Sesshomaru glared at the hanyou, warning him not to wake the miko, and deposited her in the futon with Rin. Reluctantly, he reclaimed his mokomoko. As much as he would have preferred her to remain secure in it, he needed it that morning. He closed the screens to the sleeping room and faced his half-brother and the kit.

"You kept her with you all fuckin' night?" Inuyasha was vibrating with fury. Briefly, Sesshomaru considered letting him vent his frustration. He would enjoy a chance to beat his half-brother as well, for the crime of earning a piece of the miko that he had not yet claimed. He straightened his spine. She would be completely his soon enough, and in the meantime, he had more important matters to resolve. The miko would also be distressed if he irreparably damaged the hanyou.

"Utilizing reiki is exhausting for her," he stated. It was the truth, which Inuyasha would smell. It simply hadn't been the case the night before. Sesshomaru held back a smile. The female had been embarrassed and uncomfortable when he pulled her into his bed, but she relaxed much more quickly than he anticipated. It was an excellent sign of progress towards his ultimate goal.

"Keh. Still could have brought her back when she was done healin' ya." Inuyasha stuck his hands in his sleeves and nodded at the kit, who was staring at him, wide-eyed. "Come on, runt. Let's see how well you get over the wall."

"You are leaving the Western Palace?" Sesshomaru would not have normally asked, but he was genuinely surprised that Inuyasha would leave the miko alone with him. As for the kit, he regarded the woman as his mother.

"You wish," the hanyou snorted.

"We're going hunting," the kit supplied helpfully. "Inuyasha has been teaching me tracking and stuff, but we haven't had a lesson in a while."

"No slacking." Inuyasha jerked his head and stepped into the corridor, waiting for the others to join him before he shut the door. "Where's your castle boys? I ain't leavin' Kagome here without protection." The rock brothers arrived at that moment, silently taking their positions on either side of Rin's door.

"I will join you," Sesshomaru decreed. He instructed the guards to stay with the miko and strode away, not waiting for the younger demons to follow as he knew they would. He needed to hunt, and he wanted to stretch in his true form for the first time since he had gotten ill. He had intended to chase down prey in the forest by himself, but the opportunity to gauge the kit's skill and education was fortuitous. The miko would stay with him, which would necessitate the young one staying as well. For the West, Sesshomaru would not allow him to grow without ensuring he was everything he could possibly be. His limits would have to be tested. Sesshomaru would also be able to find another opportunity to gain illicit knowledge of the miko. Inuyasha _would_ tell him what he wished to know, he would simply have to be more creative than usual to gain his cooperation without the hanyou's knowledge...or excessive physical damage. He sensed the moment they started after him and contained a smirk of satisfaction. He needed only to leave instructions with Kento and dress, then he could be about the business of ensuring the miko's acquiescence.

In his true form, he could consume the vast amounts necessary to fuel his youki. He left the hanyou and kitsune to transform. As always, the impending hunt both relaxed and stimulated him. He scented his prey, and circled it, staying downwind and moving silently. An inu in its true form, a predator, a hunter: it was how Sesshomaru was meant to be, and he relished it. He caught the stag within minutes, and rejoiced in the hot blood of the kill and his dominance over a weaker creature, even as he lamented that the prey had not been faster or stronger. THe hunt had been over too soon for his liking, but it had served its purpose. He devoured the meat quickly and moved deeper into the woods. His adrenaline rose again and his senses focused as he followed the scent of his next prey. The boar provided a greater challenge, but Sesshomaru still ended the chase with the inevitable crunch of his jaw around the struggling beast. The kill satisfied the instincts that made him what he was, and the meat replenished his energy.

He returned to his humanoid form to observe his half-brother with the kit. Inuyasha was a surprisingly good sensei. He gave praise where it was due, but the kit had to work hard for it, and Inuyasha was not afraid to point out his mistakes. He always followed it with suggestions, and the instruction showed. The kit was an excellent tracker and hunter, considering his age. He was a credit to the miko, and also, he admitted begrudgingly, to his half-brother. After the kitsune had finished his lesson, Sesshomaru allowed him to watch the hunt continue. Inuyasha did not admit it, but the daiyoukai was also keenly aware of the pup's eyes on him. As he consumed his second boar, he came to the uncomfortable realization that Inuyasha had suffered from more than just ostracization after their sire's death. The hanyou knew almost nothing about inuyoukai, and what he did know was mostly conjecture based on hostile encounters between them. He had never shunned his half-brother, but nor did he seek him out upon hearing of Izayoi's death. It was...regrettable.

Several hours later, they arrived back at the castle and Sesshomaru set himself to succeed with several new responsibilities. He still needed to run the Western Lands and ensure their dominance for the next millennia, but he also needed to ascertain the damage inflicted by the illness and set about repairing it. There were rumors that needed to be tracked down and enemies that should be watched. He would set the kit to a course of education alongside Rin, as well as begin a more formal physical training course for the young demon. The added responsibility of providing his half-brother with some of what he had been denied still needed attention, but he would assess the hanyou's skills and move accordingly. And, of course, he would secure the miko.

A guard quietly updated him as to the whereabouts of Rin, the miko, and her guards. Sesshomaru approved of Kento's decision to allow her into the village. In the unlikely event that anyone there should still hold ill feelings towards a human woman, the rock brothers would deal with them and the threat would be revealed. The tour would accustom her to the benefits of living at the Western Palace, and provide ample proof to his people that he regarded her highly and that she deserved their respect. He found that his youki sought her out almost instinctively, without his will. She seemed happy enough, although a bit uncomfortable from the weather. Her new clothing had been commissioned, but he would remember to order additional garments. He turned his thoughts to Inuyasha, although the miko's warm, pink presence was constantly at the edge of his senses.

"Hisao." The captain left the soldiers he was training and approached his small group. "The kit will be training with the other children." A bear demon was summoned and he disappeared with a fascinated kitsune in tow, taking him to the smaller training area set aside for the youth of the castle to spend a few hours each day learning to harness their power. "This one has brought another in need of much discipline. You will test his skills personally."

"Heh! Shippo is just a kid! He can't fight this guy!" Inuyasha scowled at Sesshomaru, then fixed his glare on the captain. "Pick on someone your own size."

"Hn. That he shall do." Sesshomaru left Hisao to his duty. Training had always been a strength of the inuyoukai captain, and he had no doubt that one of his longest serving vassals would know Inuyasha's skills as well as he did before the day was through. He returned to his study, taking up the endless paperwork of his position and checking on the projects he had ordered Kento to have begun. His thoughts continually returned to the miko. She had tended to him the previous night, ignoring his brother. Her friend and companion whom she _loved_. Sesshomaru allowed himself a frown in the privacy of his study. The miko had cared for the daiyoukai first, before the hanyou. Even as she admonished Sesshomaru's behavior, she checked for injuries to his person. She found nothing alarming, and yet still she insisted that he must rest. She worried for him. It was not all that he desired, it was not even a small fraction of what he needed the miko to feel for him before she would stay.

It was apparent to him, after much consideration on a full belly, that she would have to be convinced. Inuyasha had implied that he would have to _ask_ her to stay. Regardless of her feelings or the logic of remaining in the Western Lands, the human woman was nothing if not argumentative and willful. If she was not consulted, or made to feel she was consulted, she would act against his wishes out of anger and contrariness. That would not be acceptable. Sesshomaru recalled the impression he had of her even before she had cured the illness. She followed his lead as long as she agreed with his course. He _would_ lead her to his side, to a permanent place at the Western Palace, so it remained that he would have to bring her into agreement with that goal. Thankfully, he was an excellent negotiator. He pushed aside his work, striving again for honesty with himself. He was an excellent strategist. The chase had already begun, he had only to position her to run to him.

Satisfied with his conclusions, Sesshomaru idly checked on the thrum of reiki against his senses as he returned to his desk. She seemed weary, which was not unexpected after a long walk through the town. He paused, she was more than tired - exhausted. Her reiki, which had still been resting that morning but was recovering nicely from the healing, was nearly sapped. He focused his senses on her more intently. She wasn't just weary, she-

Youki, familiar to him, flared in the village and surged underground. Sesshomaru moved without thought, racing towards the courtyard. He arrived seconds behind the rock brothers, just in time to see Eiichi emerge from the stones with Rin, right behind Eiji.

Rin laughed, "Rock demons!"

"Rock demons, of course." The miko rubbed at her head, and Sesshomaru felt a pull of anxiety. He was at her side just in time to catch her as she collapsed. He swung her against his chest, cradling her close and wrapping his mokomoko around her. Her skin was freezing.

"Kagome-sama!" Rin cried.

"This one will speak to you later," he said to the guards. He did not snarl at them. He did not tear their incompetent heads from their shoulders. They were supposed to be protecting the miko, and yet she was not as he had left her. _Kento_, his jaw clenched. His errant secretary had much to answer for. "Come Rin." His daughter followed him at a near run as he sped through the castle. Servants, staff, and soldiers alike stayed out of his way as he climbed to the family quarters. He paused at the corridor, remembering the condition of his rooms, and turned instead to Rin's chamber. He tucked the miko into the futon and turned to his daughter as she arrived. She set down a basket and slid shut the screens that led to the anteroom, promising him privacy and offering to secure tea and food.

He stared at the miko, willing his heart rate to slow. She was not in danger. He knew that. He breathed deeply of her scent. New cherry wood. Magnolia blossoms. Exhaustion. Happiness. Contentment. Worry. So many other emotions lingered that he could not place them all. Alone with her, he gave in to his instincts and buried his face in her loose hair. She had overexerted herself, nothing more. He reached out with his youki. Her reiki was curled deep inside her, nearly as insensate as the female herself. She had only just begun to recover from the immense outpouring of power she used to heal him, and she had obviously called on her holy energy again. His jaw clenched. He would find out what she had done, what had seemed so important she had risked her own well-being. He knew there was nothing that could satisfy him that she had acted appropriately. He would have to guard her much closer, since she could not be trusted with her own safety if there was another she judged who needed her assistance. Unfortunately, Kagome seemed to think everyone needed and was deserving of her help. _Kagome._

He breathed deeply again and gave in to the urge to lay down beside her. In the nest of bedding he rubbed his face against her cheek, leaving his scent on her, and secured his mokomoko around her. She was his. He would have her. So another responsibility was added to his shoulders. He would secure her acquiescence, and he would keep her safe, even from her own foolishness. She was his. _Miko no Mao. _

ooo

**Thank you again for the incredibly kind reviews. I hope you are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**The following chapter contains scenes of graphic violence that may be disturbing to some readers.**

ooo

Blood. It was everywhere. He should have been accustomed to the scent, after long weeks of smelling it spread across his lands. The human settlements in the north had been stricken first, and he had ignored the reports of death and refugees fleeing south. Humans took ill and died constantly. He allowed them to reside in his lands, as long as they did not attack youkai villages, but he could not be concerned with their troubles. The epidemics of such a short-lived species were not issues that he could waste time on. Then came reports that youkai were falling ill. He dismissed them. Demons did not get sick. That was common knowledge. Any who said otherwise were fools or liars. Then came reports of death, but still he dismissed them. The very idea that a youkai could succumb to a human illness and then die from it was ridiculous.

The first refugee had arrived at his palace a week ago. A wolf demon from one of the tribes on his northern border. His face and hands were covered in a black rash. A message was sent to the largest wolf tribe to attend to their cousin and consult on the issue with him, but they had arrived too late. The stricken wolf had died.

He crawled to the shoji screen and opened it, his body weight tumbling over the threshold. He fell down the two shallow steps into his anteroom, and breathed heavily for a moment as his strength continued to wane. He lifted a hand to brush the sweat from his brow, only to find it covered in thick, sticky red liquid. His nose had been dulled to the scent over so many weeks, or perhaps he was too badly injured to use his own senses. The anteroom was bathed in blood. Several inches deep, it beat against him in gentle waves. He followed them to their source. A body had been pinned to the wall with long, thin blades. The skin was flayed from the meat, organs and even bones exposed in some places. Torture. He felt a deep pull of sympathy for the unrecognizable youkai that had bled out onto the floor. He frowned in confusion, his eyes growing hazy. There was too much liquid for one body.

"Kuren," called a weak voice. His head turned unsteadily and he watched a ravaged stump inch out of his bed chamber. It thumped on the floor, leeching blood, trailed by the sleeve of a silk kimono that might have once been blue. Thump. Drag. Thump. Drag. A head came into view. Although he would not have recognized it as such if it weren't for the pale blue hair that trailed into ends drenched to an inky color where they pooled on the floor. The face. He sucked in a deep breath, not even noticing the way it caused his own injuries to worsen. The stark white bone of the skull was visible under the hairline. Where the eyes should have been, ichor trailed down exposed cheekbones. Only strips of tissue and tendons clung to the bone, hanging down to the jaw and occasionally splattering against the wooden floor. "Kuren," the voice cried again, quieter this time. He stared, horrified, at the broken fangs and desecrated flesh of his mate. Her kimono was in tatters, her naked body exposed where it had not been cut, ripped, and chewed away. In horror, he slowly looked back at the demon that had been pinned to the wall. The only identifying feature that remained was a single, silver eye.

"My mate. My daughter." His whispered keening cry was not heard by either female. His mate collapsed, even demonic healing abilities unable to repair the damage caused by such brutal torment. His only child. His stared at his daughter's sightless eye. It was the last thing he saw as claws pierced his chest, seizing his heart and withdrawing. The body of the bird youkai slumped forward, splashing blood against the steps. The Eastern Lord was dead.

ooo

Once again finding his thoughts straying from his work, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and tried to banish the miko from his mind. She was resting peacefully, he knew. Eiji and Eiichi were guarding her, and after he had discussed their previous failure with them, they would not allow her to come into harm's way again. Shippo and Rin had been with her all afternoon and throughout the night. One or the other would let him know if she became distressed or woke. Hisao had just come to his study from the morning training, which meant that Inuyasha would be returning to Rin's rooms soon. As distasteful as he found the idea of the hanyou watching over his miko, he could not be there every moment, and Inuyasha had proven fairly effective in keeping her safe. If nothing else, the sound of his subjugation would act as an alarm system.

Sesshomaru had stayed with her for several hours after she collapsed. He wrapped his youki around her soul as his mokomoko wrapped around her body. He listened to her even breathing and steady heart and breathed in her scent. He stayed so long, because he could not make himself leave. That was...unexpected. He had already come to terms with his desire for the miko, for her presence as well as her body. He was not prepared to be so shaken by the threat to her physical well-being. He was _concerned_. Sesshomaru had cultivated his naturally distant personality so that he felt concern for very few. He did not have friends, but allies, vassals, and servants. Even for his pack he had never experienced that feeling. Until Rin. The miko, the fragile human woman whose life could so easily be taken, lay sleeping and while he knew the source of her condition, he had no treatment. His concern was disproportionate to the short time he had spent with her, the intimacy of their connection, and the nature of her species.

He supposed time could be ignored, for the depth of the experiences they had shared was far greater than that he had known with demons that had lived at the castle his entire life. That was logical. Intimacy. Although he had every intention of experiencing her in all possible ways, it was reasonable that having their power entwined as it must have been while she healed him had furthered their connection in ways that some physical intimacies would never accomplish. Those thoughts firmly in his mind, he determined it was the nature of _her_ that must have brought on the uncommon feeling. _Human. Weak. Delicate._ She was delicate; her soft skin and small bones. The size of her body and the ease with which she could be injured. Weakness. In many ways, she was weak. His own strength, even that of a lesser youkai, was many times greater than hers. But she had a spiritual power that outshone any but his own youki and a strength of character that was beyond compare. She was human. Her life would be so short as to be almost unnoticeable by demon-kind. She would die.

That undeniable fact echoed in his head, drowning out everything else. No matter how well he protected her, how powerful her own reiki, it was the nature of humans to age and die. She was young, and healthy compared to most humans he had seen, but she would still only have another...forty, fifty, perhaps sixty years of life? That was intolerable. He would not allow it. Sesshomaru could not be distracted over the crawl of time and how it affected _his_ miko. He had other matters that needed to be attended to. So he added another responsibility to his growing list. He would find a way to make her youth and life last as his did. She was his; he would not concede defeat, he would not lose what belonged to him, to something as inconsequential as _time_.

"...Kento-san has been located," Hisao continued with his report. Sesshomaru turned his cold gaze back to the captain.

"Why is he not before this one?" Kento _would _explain his actions. He would detail the circumstances under which the miko had become so...fatigued. Then he would provide justification for why his failure did not warrant extreme consequences. Sesshomaru doubted he would be successful.

"He was...occupied." Hisao's amusement was easily discerned in his scent. The daiyoukai's irritation must have been palatable as well, because the captain elaborated. "It seems Aki-san has gone into heat. I thought it best not to enter her home until Kento-san is...satisfied with the results." Sesshomaru considered the information. He was well aware that Kento had been courting Aki. It would have been difficult to ignore, it was the longest chase he had ever had the misfortune to observe.

"Five hundred years." Sesshomaru well remembered the day Kento had first met Aki. He himself had only recently become old enough to consider pursuing a mate. Kento was a few decades older, and when Aki moved to the village and set up her shop, he did not look at another demoness. The chase had been amusing at first, as Aki was significantly older and more experienced, then tedious as it dragged on with no apparent conclusion, and finally it became part of the status quo. Sesshomaru had never asked why Aki declined the mating, although she seemed receptive enough to Kento's attention. He had not really cared. In the way of most males, as long as Kento was content to pursue a female that would not bond with him, that was his business. Now, Sesshomaru found himself curious as to what had changed.

"Indeed," Hisao agreed. "It does make you wonder. The idiot has spent half a century chasing after her kimono, with nothing more to show for it than a scent mark, and then one brief visit from Kagome-sama and-"

"The miko was with her?"

"Yes, Aki-san's shop was her last stop in the village. Eiji reported that she picked up the things you ordered for her, and Rin selected some cloth for the kit. Then she and Kento went inside with Aki. Eiichi said that Kagome-sama offered to bless the house, and Aki refused, but Kento insisted." The house. Sesshomaru was filled with so many thoughts and emotions, he wasn't sure what to focus on. _Perhaps the miko has contaminated me with her...feelings._ If she had used her reiki in some way to change Aki's mind… Kento would answer to him, painfully, if the miko was unduly harmed in the inuyoukai's quest for a mate. As for the miko...clearly she needed to better understand her own limitations. He would explain them to her.

Sesshomaru felt a stirring of his youki. She was awake. He stood, prepared to go to her again, but the foolish administrator who announced guests chose that moment to open the screens. One of his scouts had returned. He seethed with barely contained impatience, but reseated himself and prepared to listen to another report. If the scout from the East did not have anything of value to discuss, Sesshomaru would leave him for Hisao. The East had been a long-standing, albeit conservative, ally for years. There was little that could be of interest in news from the East. He would listen briefly, to confirm his suspicions, then he could go to the miko. The thought soothed his restless youki as the scout began his report.

ooo

Kagome wanted to go back to sleep. She tugged the blanket over her head and snuggled down into the futon, hoping that everything would just go away and let her rest. Quiet voices invaded the sanctuary of her blanket cave. She couldn't make out the words, but she knew the speakers. Inuyasha, Shippo and Rin were nearby. She frowned, hazy memories of walking back from the village niggling at her brain. _When did I get back to the castle? And whose futon is this?_ That thought made her sit up straight. The chilly air finished the job her friends' noisiness had started and she knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. She tried to find a positive attitude. She was in Rin's room, so at least she hadn't fallen asleep on Sesshomaru again. Not that the experience hadn't been-

She shook her head. Thinking about Sesshomaru was way too much work, and too confusing, so soon after waking up. Her stomach felt cavernous and her bladder was full, so so threw back the covers and quick-stepped across the cold floor to use the facilities and wash up. She briefly wondered why everything was so chilly, but the demands of her belly forced her to ignore her concern and wrap up in the first thing she grabbed off of the futon. She had it around her shoulders before she realized it was Sesshomaru's mokomoko. _Why would-?_

Inuyasha interrupted her by throwing open the screens. "About time you woke up, wench." His words were harsh, but she could see the wrinkles of concern at the corners of his mouth and eyes.

"How long was I asleep?" She followed her nose into the anteroom and found Rin and Shippo were just finishing their breakfast. Kagome happily collapsed onto a cushion and accepted a cup of tea and a bowl of miso.

"We left Aki-san's just before midday, yesterday," Rin said cheerfully. "I am so glad you are feeling better, Kagome-sama. Sesshomaru-sama and I were so worried about you!"

"Eighteen hours?" Kagome murmured to herself in surprise while Inuyasha huffed,

"And what about Shippo and me? We were just laughin' it up while she was konked out?"

"Of course not, Inuyasha-san," Rin soothed. "We all know how worried you were, right, Shippo-kun?" Shippo nodded vigorously, snuggling up to Kagome for a one-armed hug. Inuyasha was left in the embarrassing position of admitting he was concerned or letting Sesshomaru take the credit for caring for his friend. Rin didn't give him a chance to respond. "Sesshomaru-sama caught you when you fainted, Kagome-sama. It was so dramatic!" Kagome blinked, her mouth full of rice and fish, at the strange phrasing of the girl. _Dramatic? Like a white knight?_ That image made her smile around her food. White, certainly. Knight, very believable. _Her_ white knight - Sesshomaru was more likely to smile at Inuyasha than sweep her off her feet to ride into the sunset on his...steed. Kagome tried not to laugh at the daydream of Ah-Un trotting along with a an armor-clad Sesshomaru on his back while Rin continued. "My Lord made sure you were all tucked in and safe. You were so cold, Kagome-sama! Rin worried you might get sick. Wasn't it nice of Sesshomaru-sama to leave mokomoko-san to keep you warm?"

"Fu-" Inuyasha glanced at Rin's tiny frown and cleaned up his language. "I, er, it's no wonder you smell like that bast- ah, that guy. Take that thing off and get a bath already." Kagome smiled and took another huge bite of fish. She was really enjoying how easily Rin handled the foul-mouthed hanyou.

"Nah," she said as soon as she had swallowed. In all honesty, it seemed a little strange to use what she had always assumed was like a Stole of Office as a blanket or coat, but if stuffy Sesshomaru thought it was okay, then there couldn't be anything weird about it. If it irritated Inuyasha...she used her free hand to snuggle the fur against her cheek, just to watch his face twist in disgust. It smelled like woodsy cologne and cloves, and the fur was incredibly soft. It just had too many positive attributes to get rid of it. So what if it was Sesshomaru's stole or cape or whatever? It smelled great, was super warm, and ticked off her friend immensely. The mokomoko was definitely a keeper. "I like it, although I do need a bath. Too bad somebody broke mine." She refused to meet his puppy-dog eyes and concentrated on her second bowl of miso. She was starving!

"We can go to the springs, Kagome-sama. That is where Rin and the others that live in the castle bathe."

"You have hot springs?" Kagome wanted to hug the child. A nice, hot soak sounded heavenly. Her muscles were sore for some strange reason, and she was still a little cold, despite the heavy fur. "And why is it freezing in here?"

"Er, I'll go let the castle boys know we'll be going downstairs." Inuyasha disappeared before she could blink.

"Coward," Shippo sneered. He turned green eyes up at Kagome and grinned. "I guess he and Sesshomaru had a fight and broke the wall down. There were carpenters at the castle all day yesterday fixing stuff."

"They should be done today, or maybe tomorrow," Rin supplied helpfully. "Rin's Lord decided to make a few changes since he had to rebuild anyhow." She gathered everything they would need for baths into a basket and smiled at Kagome. "Whenever you are ready, Kagome-sama." Kagome set down her bowl, surprised to find that she had finished two helpings of miso, three of rice and two whole fish. She was comfortable, but she still felt like she could eat more. She justified it by telling herself she had missed lunch and supper the day before. She took the mokomoko with her, knowing the rest of the castle would probably be chilly as well, and reminding herself that she hadn't had a chance to scrub it after Sesshomaru had gotten sick. Shippo kept up a running commentary on his lessons at the training grounds and Inuyasha's sparring matches with Hisao. Kagome was surprised and pleased the Sesshomaru had taken the time to find something to occupy his half-brother while he was at the Western Palace. Rin described the springs and how the castle had been built overtop of them. Eiichi and Eiji followed silently.

Kagome saw few servants as they made their way. Those that caught her eye, bowed deeply and murmured their respect, 'Miko-sama' they said. As she passed, she caught whispers of something else, but her human ears weren't keen enough to understand it. "What is that they're saying," she asked Shippo.

"Miko no Mao," he replied with a smile. "Everybody is really happy that you didn't purify them, Kagome."

"Me too." She was dazed, not comprehending why they would give her such a title. She had only done what needed to be done to save Sesshomaru. The rest had been an _accident_. She didn't deserve such praise. Those thoughts were banished the moment she entered the baths. "Oh!" She covered her cheeks with her hands, unable to speak for a moment. They were _huge_. Perhaps three-fourths of the footprint of the castle above, the springs were split into several smaller pools. Smooth boulders, manicured gardens and gentle waterfalls separated them. Rin pointed out the women's bath and a sheltered alcove for changing in privacy. The largest pool was designated for men, and Kagome was mildly shocked to see a few of the soldiers were making use of the hot water. Rin and Shippo let her down a set of narrow, stone stairs and past a waterfall to a more secluded area. A pool approximately forty feet long backed into the rough- hewn wall of the mountain. Tumbled rocks divided the pool into two equal halves. Shippo abandoned her to race to the far side, where she could hear Inuyasha scolding him to pile his clothes further away from the water.

"One moment, Kagome-sama," Eiichi bowed low.

"If you please, Kagome-sama," Eiji echoed his brother's motions. He stayed at her back while the other rock demon circled the baths and even disappeared momentarily into the rock floor before reappearing with a satisfied expression. "The area is secure, Kagome-sama. We will wait in the passage," he pointed back the way they had come. "Please call out if you need anything." The rock demons disappeared along the ledge that led into the main chamber. Rin grabbed her hand and tugged her into a niche in the wall, concealed by a strategic fall of vines. They left their clothes in neat stacks there, although Kagome needed Rin's help to unwind the stubborn mokomoko. After collecting scrubbing cloths and Kagome's new soap, they carefully followed the leafy passage at a shallow decline towards the water. Kagome left the fur lying on the shore and waded in with the younger girl.

The water was absolute bliss. Pleasantly hot where they entered, it cooled quickly towards the front and grew hotter the closer to the cave where the water seemed to be coming from. Smooth ledges protruded around the edge, strategically providing places to rest soaps and combs. Kagome and Rin played for nearly an hour - swimming and talking, before they got down to the business of washing each other's backs and hair. Kagome was entranced by the soap from the village. To her nose, it smelled like nothing so much as white copy paper. Rin claimed it was expensive and extravagant. The girls hadn't been using it for more than a few minutes when a head poked over the rocks.

"Hey! That smells great!"

"Ack!" Kagome slipped and nearly drowned herself.

"Knock it off, runt," Inuyasha's furry ears appeared above them as well - although they swiveled convulsively, his face was firmly turned away.

"Inuyasha-saaan!" Rin wailed, sinking below the water. Kagome barely managed not to smile at the girl's embarrassment. She was used to being 'accidently' found while bathing. She had been more startled than worried. After all, Miroku was nowhere nearby and she had a host of demon soldiers between her and anything that wanted to eat her. Rin, however, was probably very unused to such interruptions. Although, she had bathed with Shippo when they were travelling together. Kagome supposed at twelve it felt very different to have an adult nearly peeping at her. She appraised the wet white hair that barely crested the division between the two pools. She had never really thought of Inuyasha as a man - or adult demon, or rather, hanyou. He had been a girlish love interest, a boy who seemed to be her own age, and then later he was her friend. To Rin, though, he was probably just the right age to form a crush on. _What is it about girls wanting someone like their father?_ Well, they looked enough alike, but Kagome knew that beyond extreme overprotectiveness and a highly developed sense of honor, there wasn't much else the brothers had in common.

"It's okay, Rin-chan, Inuyasha knows better than to look." Kagome silently mouthed the 's' word and Rin let out a tremulous smile.

"Oi, what is that smell?" The hanyou tipped his head, trying to get a better sniff without actually seeing them. "It's like you, but not, and there's…" his voice trailed off.

"Oooo, I know!" Shippo was almost bursting with pride, his nose twitching. "It is you and Rin-chan! You smell just like you, but more! How did you get rid of all of the other smells?"

"I don't-" Kagome started.

"Kagome-sama has special soap," Rin said quietly. She was still chin-deep in the water, but her blush was fading. "Demons make it specially for sensitive noses, like inu and kitsune. It gets you clean so that only your scent is left."

"Left," Inuyasha snorted, "more like you're shouting 'Here I am' to every hungry thing in a ten mile radius." His head sank back down, but his grumpy tirade continued, "Not to mention the perverts."

"Perverts?" Rin looked sweetly confused.

"Uh-huh," Shippo nodded solemnly. "They already like the way you smell, but the males will go crazy for it now." He frowned and turned to Kagome, "Maybe we should go back to our rooms?"

"Let's get going!" Inuyasha's shouted reply got Rin swimming back to their clothes.

"I can't go yet, Inuyasha. I have a few things to get clean." She smiled at Shippo and waved him away, but she spoke to the hanyou who no doubt was ready to argue, "If we smell as good as you say," she rolled her eyes at the idea since no one could see it, "then you should take Rin back. Remember, I've travelled with Miroku for years. I'm used to fending off perverts, I'll be fine with Eiji-san and Eiichi-san." She really did still have work to do. Resolute, she made her way to the mokomoko and dragged it into the water while Rin dried off and got dressed. She would have thought it would sink as the fur soaked up the water, but whatever held it all together was buoyant enough that it floated just below the surface. Her only complaint was that the thing seemed to wrap around her every time she moved. Grabbing her bar of soap she started scrubbing, but every time she worked up a good lather the thing twisted in some current she couldn't feel and tightened around her.

Kagome had just worked a good length free from her legs, leaving the other end to wrap around her chest and shoulders, when Rin called out that she was ready. Shippo and Inuyasha strolled out around the edge, ready to escort the girl out of the springs. The hanyou kept his eyes firmly away from the water, but Shippo paused to wave and call out a goodbye. The little kit paused, staring at her struggle with the fur, and a smile split his face.

"I didn't notice that Sesshomaru-sama got his second tail, too! That's great!" Kagome froze, and Inuyasha whipped around so fast she worried he would get whiplash. She looked down at the thick white fur in her hands. The end she was holding did, indeed, split into two long, fluffy sections. She didn't think it had been like that when they travelled together. Nor had it been quite so big. She recalled that when Sesshomaru wore it they trailed from his waist to drag a bit on the floor. That didn't mean...surely not…

"That's his _tail_?" Inuyasha's voice was one part incredulous and two parts furious.

"Well sure," Shippo frowned. "You really don't know anything about inuyoukai, do you?"

"How the fuck would I know!" Inuyasha exploded, actually wading into the water until the hems of his pants were in danger of getting wet. "Get that fuckin' thing off ya, wench, before I rip it to shreds!"

"No, no Inuyasha-san!" Rin grabbed his arm, tugging in a vain effort to pull him away. "You mustn't hurt mokomoko-san! Sesshomaru-sama lent it to Kagome-sama to keep her warm, he was only afraid she would get sick." Kagome noticed the telling glance between Shippo and Rin, as well as the way the fur tightened around her, the...tails...sinking below the water again to wrap around her hips. One end even managed to slide between her legs and twine down to her ankle. The feeling of silky wet fur on her inner thigh was scandalous, made even more so by the knowledge that _this_ was _Sesshomaru_. He hadn't given her a piece of youkai clothing. He gave her a part of himself. She blinked. Twice. That was actually…kind of sweet. Sesshomaru was intensely private and did not spare the time of day for anyone he felt was beneath him. Which was pretty much everyone. If he had used his own...body - she felt her face burning hotter at the idea - to keep her warm, that was...weird. Sweet and nice and thoughtful in a way she would have never thought he could be, but also weird.

And a little pervy. The mokomoko twitched and the second tail drifted through the water and slipped across her bare bottom. It felt suspiciously like a furry groping. Her eyes narrowed. "Go ahead, Inuyasha," she said firmly. "I do have to finish this, and then I think I will need to speak with his _Lordship_." Inuyasha's eyes widened and he was clearly torn between glee that his brother might be about to taste miko wrath, and the desire to save his friend from unwanted advances. "Go," she ordered softly. Her friends disappeared down the path and Kagome took a deep breath before she went back to work on the fur. As if _it_ knew that _she_ knew, it gave up any pretense of 'accidental' entanglement. It allowed her to wash it, but only in small sections, and only by squeezing and rubbing it into languid relaxation before it would release whatever part of her it had secured itself around. "Oh, he better look sooo innocent when I ask about this, or I swear by all that is holy, I will…" She kept up her muttering, finally sitting back in a shallow portion of the springs. She was completely covered from thigh to armpit in wet white fur, and the tails alternately wrapped around her legs or hung freely in the water while she scrubbed the last two feet with firm strokes. Her fingers were thrust into the pelt, kneading the underlying...skin...while she cupped water in her other hand to rinse out the soap. "He isn't like that," she reminded herself in a flat whisper. "He isn't like _this_."

A swirl of youki-made breeze and white silk interrupted her. She was startled for a moment when Sesshomaru appeared in the vine covered passage, next to her bundle of clothes. He looked beautiful. There was no other word for it. That wasn't to imply he was effeminate. Even without his armor, which he never wore inside the castle, his masculinity would never be in question. His short kimono fit snugly over broad shoulders and a strong chest. His long legs and wide stance gave her the inappropriate urge to bring him a pair of jeans from her era. His hair was glorious, as always. His mouth was wide and softer looking than any part of Sesshomaru should be. His eyes widened fractionally, practically a gasp for the daiyoukai, and Kagome remembered where she was, and what she was _not_ wearing. She made a strangled sound and clutched the end of the mokomoko to her chest. The rest tightened around her in response - and then Kagome realized she was covering herself from his view - with _him_. Her face burned hot enough to bring tears to her eyes, and she had to close them to avoid crying. "Oh, boy," she whispered.

ooo

**Thank you again for the reviews and the constructive criticism. I have finally gone back and fixed a few grammatical and technical errors in the first nine chapters. Please let me know if you see any other errors.**


	12. Chapter 12

"Oh, boy," the miko whispered.

Milky skin, flushed with heat and embarrassment. Dark hair slick with water. His fur against her body. He had ignored the sensations in his tail since he had left it with her, so the only thing that surfaced to his consciousness was a distant feeling of soft warmth. Then his mokomoko was wet, which was startling and mildly irritating, enough to draw his focus to her, but not to force him to seek her out. Something changed. Although it still contained a portion of his youki when it was separated from him, his tail was usually without anything more than faint instincts and extremely limited movement. She did something to it, he was sure, because he was quite suddenly unable to ignore his tail, as if she was touching him directly. He had been tortured by the sensation of her fingers kneading his mokomoko, until, finally, he was able to leave his study and follow his nose and youki to her location. By the time he reached the entrance to the springs, he was moving too quickly to be seen. And the squeezing, stroking, caresses continued to grow in his perception. He arrived at the private springs set aside for his pack just as she thrust her fingers into his fur. The slender digits massaged his muscle, and he had to bite back a groan of pleasure.

She stared at him with wide blue eyes and he could do nothing but stare back. She was glorious. Beautiful, desirable, powerful. A temptress. She called to him as a male. She called to the youki of his beast. She gripped his mokomoko and he felt a throb of heat move through him. Sesshomaru had developed a strategy to convince her to stay. The first directive would be to discuss things with her. However, there was no reason he could not achieve two objectives with one course of action. They were certainly secluded enough for a private conversation. The daiyoukai held back a smile and untied the knot of his obi.

"Wha- what are you doing?" Her voice rose to an almost painful pitch, but her delicious blush made up for it. The rosy color extended not only over her cheeks, but down her neck and onto the tops of her breasts. He wondered if she was more embarrassed than usual, or if the color was always so...rampant, and he had not noticed due to her clothing. The scent of turnips was crisp, but the rest of her scent was… He breathed deeply. It was incredibly strong. Freshly cut cherry wood. Magnolia blossoms. The steam carried her scent, as water always did, but it was also cleaner, less layered with other things. There was no trace of Inuyasha, or even the kit. No lingering scents of the food she had eaten, the places she had been, the people she had been near. Her scent was purely _her_, and his body reacted accordingly. He draped his obi precisely over a rock, to keep it from wrinkling, and moved his hands to the narrow ribbons closing his short kimono.

"Disrobing," he replied in a flat voice. It was difficult, even for him, to contain a smirk when her face contorted. She appeared...speechless. The miko was extremely verbal. He made a note of the actions that had caused her current condition so that it could be repeated in the future. She sputtered, and her scent fluctuated, still as clear and strong as when he had arrived. Embarrassment, anxiety and…he folded his white kimono carefully over the rock and loosened his shirt. _Cinnamon_. He did not bother to hold back a small smile. She was still upset, her maidenly anxiety was a reminder that despite how long she had travelled with his half-brother and the implications of her clothing, she was untouched. She was aroused by him, and embarrassed by her arousal. That could be advantageous; it was certainly pleasing. His shirt followed his kimono, and he stepped out of his boots.

"Here? Right Now? Er, I mean, why?" Her voice was faint, but her eyes remained fixated on his hands as he moved to the ties of his pants. He congratulated himself on sending the guards further along the path, their senses out of range of the little spring.

"I do not wish to bathe in my clothes, Miko. Is that customary in your time?" His thumbs hooked under the waistband and her eyes squeezed shut.

"Nooo, nope, no not at all." She was moving into deeper water, eyes firmly closed and both her blush and arousal in evidence. "I'll just, ah, I'll leave you to it, then. You probably want your privacy. I mean, who doesn't, right? Bath time is private time, I always say! No need to…" He was amused by the return of her babbling. Unfortunately, she was getting dangerously close to the deeper part of the spring. He shed the rest of his clothes and swiftly took to the water, cupping her elbow just as her feet would have followed the sudden dip in the floor and carried her head under. "Whoa!" Her arms flailed wildly, and even with his excellent reflexes he was unable to avoid her blunt human nails grazing his chin or her bare feet colliding with his legs. Her eyes flew open, and he stared into the blue depths. He could feel his body, his power, responding to her. She was so near, and her scent…

He pulled his head back sharply, finding that he had bent as though to press his nose to her neck. That was not part of the current stage of the plan. "Soap," he requested. She blinked at him, breathing heavily, and then gestured to a plain cake and extra scrubbing cloth waiting nearby. He steered her towards a ledge that would keep her from drowning, and also force her to go past him to reach her clothes. Taking up the soap, he schooled his features into a calm mask and steered his own thoughts back to the task at hand. _Sweet, sweet honeyed blossoms…_ It was difficult. "I have received reports of incursions on villages in the East and a few of my own in the far north of my land. I must travel to see to these incidents." He did not elaborate on the details of the reports. There was no need for her to have such images in her mind.

"Incursions?"

"It means-"

"I know what it means," she snapped. He turned his back on her blazing expression to hide his own smile. She was far too easy to bait. He enjoyed it. Both the fury of her response, and the way she straightened her spine, allowing the water to settle dangerously low around her- "I'm surprised anyone would attack with the illness there. Didn't you say it started in the north? I know it had been moving from north to south towards Edo. I suppose bandits might try to prey on towns that are already weakened." He approved of her firm grasp of all that she had learned thus far. She was intelligent.

"It is possible," he acknowledged. He began a thorough scrubbing of his body, pleased to be able to do so despite the disrepair of his bathhouse. He smiled again. He would not have to clean his mokomoko for some time. The miko had been quite through. "While I ascertain the meaning of these attacks, I will also patrol my own lands and take measure of how much damage this pox has done."

"I will go with you," her conviction caused his head to turn. He was about to refute her foolish statement, a quiet growl of denial even escaped him, but he recalled Inuyasha's warning about _telling_ the miko, rather than _asking_ her.

"I am reluctant to risk your life or health on such a task," he said instead. "You are still weak from use of your reiki, and your scent is tired."

"I'll be fine," she shrugged, and the movement did delightful things to the water level around her breasts. He noted with interest that her blush faded as she focused on their conversation. "I've been tired before, and there may be people who need me. I can't let you go alone when I might be able to save some of them."

"And if we are attacked?"

"I have no doubt that anyone foolish enough to attack the Saidai Mao would swiftly regret it," she said dryly. Her eyes sparkled, and Sesshomaru felt another surge of lust. She trusted his skill to protect her, as she should. The miko would be his soon. He only had to deal with a few minor issues, then he could focus all of his concentration on her. "Besides, an attack wouldn't be all bad, would it? Then you would know for certain what or who was causing them."

"Hn." He couldn't refute her logic. He could leave her behind, where she could be guarded by his entire castle...and he would be distracted by concern for her every moment that he was unable to smell her, to sense her, to see her with his own eyes. Perhaps her ideas and suggestions merited consideration. It cost him nothing but a few moments of his time to listen, and he had the added benefit of watching her while he did so. It was an acceptable exchange. "If I allowed it, there would be conditions." She leaned forward eagerly, doubtless anticipating his capitulation. Sesshomaru inhaled her excitement and clamped down on his own. There would be time for that later. "You will not leave my sight. You will follow my commands." She nodded at each order and clasped her hands between her breasts. He _almost_ groaned. "You will not attempt to use your reiki without my permission." Her face stiffened.

"Excuse me?" Her voice was frosty, and Sesshomaru had to remind himself that he had the upper hand. He had already considered her hesitation, and had formed a strategy to combat it.

"You overexerted yourself when you healed me - and the castle. While I am grateful...more than grateful... for your assistance, I believe it sapped your strength. You exercised your powers on Aki too soon afterwards, and you passed out. I am not willing to risk your health again." He refrained from mentioning that he did not trust her judgment to manage her own health.

"But Aki and Kento really needed help! I-" She cut herself off and bit her lip.

"Perhaps if you tell me the nature of your interaction with Aki I would better understand."

"It was very personal," she said primly. Sesshomaru raised a brow, _indeed_?

"Kento is my secretary, and I have known both he and Aki longer than my half-brother has offended me with his presence. If you do not wish to tell me, that is your prerogative, but I will be discussing it with Kento when he returns."

"So he still hasn't- I mean they're- that is…" She fumbled, blushing, and Sesshomaru was intrigued to know that she obviously had a strong inclination as to what Kento was doing in Aki's house. She tugged absently on his mokomoko, and Sesshomaru felt an answering pull inside himself. "Aki asked me to give her a fertility blessing. You know she and Kento are, an item? Er, I mean, they are together?" Her words were strange, but he nodded to show her he understood her meaning. "Okay, well I guess she wouldn't, um, mate him because she didn't think she could have children, er, hatchlings."

"Pups," he corrected, fascinated that she had managed to get so much personal information out of the tightlipped Kento and wily Aki.

"Yeah, so I tried to figure out if there really was a problem, and it turns out that I am pretty sure she has polycystic ovaries, so I sort of fixed that, although I doubt it will be permanent. And then, just to be sure, I checked Kento-"

He couldn't help himself. He growled, stalking closer to her. "You examined Kento's virility?"

"Uh, yeah? With my power?" For some reason, that did not assuage his irritation or still a surge of possiveness. "And he had some issues too, so I took care of that, I think, and when I was done he got all _sniffy_ and said she was in heat, and I can guess what that means, so I left." She was speaking so fast towards the end that her words nearly ran together, but Sesshomaru had no trouble understanding. He had more difficulty not shaking her, or, more likely, grabbing her to him and impressing on her the importance of never touching another male again. Even with her power. Especially as it related to _virility_. His fingers snaked around her upper arms and he pulled her closer, so that they were nearly touching. Her eyes widened, her breath quickened, her scent spiked. "It was really strange, actually. It is pretty rare for a couple to both have genetic markers for sub- or infertility. I would think that demons-"

"_Kagome_," he ground out, "cease speaking." He pressed his lips to hers and was enveloped in the sensation of _her_. Soft full lips. Her scent, in his nose and lungs and settling on his skin where they touched. Sounds. A smothered gasp, a quiet sigh. The flutter of her hands under the water and then her gentle touch on his shoulder and neck. His tongue darted out and he licked the seam of her lips. She tasted as she smelled. Sweet. Strong. Perfect. He wanted to devour her. He wanted to cover her with his scent. To take her. His last vestige of logical thought was screaming, _Not yet!_ But his youki quickly stomped it out to make way for his libido. She parted her lips and a bolt of lightning seared him straight to his core, igniting his blood and calling to his beast to rise. His tongue took advantage and delved deeply, caressing the velvety walls of her cheeks, learning the feel of her blunt human teeth and the roof of her mouth. After a moment, her own tongue responded, hesitantly reaching out to trace the rounded side of one of his fangs.

He pulled away with a sharp movement, holding her at arms-length and breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide with surprise, her mouth was slightly parted and swollen from his attention. He wanted her. Unknowingly, he tightened his grip until she squeaked with discomfort, and he immediately relented. She was more, better, everything that he had thought she would be. He would have her again. All of her. But he did not have the time at the moment. Sesshomaru bit back a snarl of frustration. His duties were always tedious, but never before had he considered throwing them aside to deal with his own needs. He could not. But he wanted to.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked hesitantly. The embarrassment and worry were returning to her scent, and he wished to bring back the spicy taste of cinnamon, before he had to leave her and attend to the West. He leaned in close again, bringing his lips within a breath of hers. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her chest rose and fell quickly, giving him tantalizing glimpses of what was beneath the water. His mokomoko wound and rubbed against her skin in places he had not yet had the pleasure of exploring, but he promised himself he would soon.

"Dress and return to Rin's rooms, Miko. We will discuss the terms of our departure after dinner." He flicked his tongue over her full lower lip and was rewarded with a tiny sound of pleasure and a rush of cinnamon. He was back in the alcove and partly dressed before she realized he had taken his mokomoko with him. He glanced back, and lost his cool facade for a moment when he realized he could now see quite easily though the clean, clear water of the springs. She folded her arms over her chest and glared through a heavy blush. He forced his eyes away and swallowed. "You may borrow this one," he gestured with his mokomoko and a gust of youki wind blew across the springs, sapping the water from his hair and leaving his fur fluffier than it should be. "But you must repair it as you did before with your oils." He laid it out across the rocks near her new clothing and finished tying his obi. "And Miko," he glanced over his shoulder to catch her staring at him, somewhat lower than his face, with a look that he could not categorize. He allowed himself a smirk. He did not need to know her expression, he knew her scent. "Miko," he repeated and her eyes snapped to his, "do not repeat your vigor with my tail, or I will be forced to leave my work to continue your education on the consequences of such actions."

He turned and left, speeding his passage with youki. He did not wish to leave her, but the rest of the morning, and the long afternoon ahead, would be made more tolerable by the glare of outraged indignation that accompanied her scent of cinnamon and pepper. He looked forward to dinner.

ooo

"Arrogant, egotistical...thinks he can just...I should have...next time he…" Kagome stopped her angry, muttered tirade abruptly. Next time. She finished toweling off more slowly and sat down to comb and oil her hair; her skin needed moisture too. She wasn't sure if she wanted a 'next time'. She shook her head, there was no point in trying to fool herself, of course she wanted a next time. She was nineteen, and the only kisses she had ever received were from a youki-crazed Inuyasha and fumbling Hojo. Inuyasha hadn't really kissed her back, so she wasn't sure that even counted. And Hojo had missed her lips in his nervous excitement and hit her cheek, not that she regretted it. His hands were clammy on her arms and his breath smelled like butter popcorn: it was not a turn-on. Sesshomaru, on the other hand...her face heated up at the memory. He was, well, _perfect _came to mind, but that seemed trite. He was tall, handsome, completely ripped, and broody in a sort of bad-boy meets disapproving literature professor. She might have had more interest in attending university if professors actually looked like Sesshomaru. On top of that, he was an amazing kisser. Obviously, she didn't have a lot of personal experience to compare it to, but from everything she had read and heard from her modern friends, the inability to form a coherent thought and weak knees - weak everything - was a strong indication of an excellent make-out session. She frowned, fumbling with her package of new clothes. _Could a single kiss and a - a lick constitute a make-out session?_ She wasn't sure. Whatever she labeled it, it was something she definitely wanted to have a 'next time'. Even though it was Sesshomaru. The reminder that she had been _naked_ kissing Inuyasha's _naked _older, sometimes murderous, cold brother did nothing to dampen her desire. Which was strange and yet, did not cause concern. _He wasn't all that cold with me._

Then he had to go and ruin it. Irritation built again, and all of her fuzzy, melty feelings were pushed aside to make room for indignation. She was perfectly ready to stay in the springs and kiss him until she got pruney, and then he opened his big, fat - _firm, talented_ - mouth. Not that his voice wasn't nice to listen to. It was deep, low and when he said her name it sent shivers- Kagome shook herself and glared at the mokomoko. It sat in a fluffy pile on a nearby rock, looking completely innocent. "You're _worse_ than a cursed hand," she snarled at it. She was blushing, she knew, but she held on tightly to her anger. He let her think he was giving her, basically a blanket, and it was his tail! He had felt it whenever she touched it. Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror. She had been _stroking_ it. "Oh, boy," she whispered. If she had made those same motions to any part of his body that was attached-

She groaned and leaned forward to bury her burning face in her clothes. And stopped abruptly. The plain wrapping had fallen open, to reveal the most beautiful material she had ever seen. Kagome checked to make certain there was no oil left on her hands before holding it up. She gasped in pleased wonder. Aki had outdone herself. The outer kimono was cherry red across the right sleeve and chest. Beginning at the shoulder seam, the cloth was scattered with white magnolia blossoms that caught the light and reflected it with a silver sheen. She held it closer to her eyes. The silver was actually tiny dewdrops that had been stitched onto the petals. No human hands, or even machines, could have made such an intricate design. The flowers blew across the chest, growing in number until they were dense enough to make a field of white. The remainder of the kimono was the solid, snowy color. The obi was wide, and dark blue. It was accompanied by a simple blue kimono and white silk under kimono. _He commissioned this for me?_ The sweet, melty feeling returned and no matter how many times Kagome reminded herself that he had tricked her with the mokomoko, that the cost of the garments were probably nothing to him, she couldn't work back into her earlier outrage.

She quickly french braided her hair and tucked the ends up to keep any oil from brushing against the kimono. She dressed carefully, lamenting for the first time that she was unable to manage more than a simple knot with the obi. Even that she had to tie in the front and swivel around to the back. Sandals had also been provided, and she slipped them on and gathered everything up in her basket. Except the mokomoko. She stared at it, not really mad, but still irritated. It twitched a little, as if it knew she was watching it. It seemed to have a mind of its own - or at least a brain stem - and its only thoughts were perverted. Okay, maybe also protective. She recalled the way it wrapped around her tighter whenever she tried to remove it. And maybe also a bit possessive. Still, it didn't deserve to be, she blushed, stroked and oiled. If Sesshomaru knew people saw his tail looking so ludicrously, adorably fluffy, he might think twice about leaving it to maul her.

She nodded to herself and poked the pile of fur, "Listen up, Fluffy," She did her best to sound stern, hoping the mokomoko would respond to authority like a puppy would. "I'm going to carry you around-" the thing shifted and slithered up her finger to latch around her wrist. She quickly clamped her other hand over it to stop its advance. "If you so much as twitch inappropriately, I will take you through the well and let Grandpa use you as a floor mop - got it?" She wasn't sure it could really understand her, but it curled around her hand and went passively limp. She wrapped it around her upper arms, but found that the end would drag on the ground. She didn't want it to get dirty again. Kagome looped it around her waist and commanded, " Stay," it squeezed gently, "but no funny business." Satisfied that it would obey, she walked carefully back down the path towards Eiji and Eiichi. She only tripped once, and she caught herself against the wall before either demon could see her complete lack of grace. She considered it a successful morning.

She might have revised that thought if she had known how many stares she would get as she walked slowly back through the castle. In the traditional kimono, her pace seemed painfully slow, and it gave every demon they passed the opportunity to stare, whisper, and bow low as she walked past. Some looked awed, others afraid, and a few offended. The longer it took, the worse it seemed to get. A group of soldiers, most she had not seen before, passed and stopped to ogle. One even approached her, holding out his hands for hers and bowing low, "Miko-sama," he said smoothly, "I am humbled by your-"

"Kagome-sama is quite busy," Eiji interrupted smoothly, stepping in front of her and preventing the soldier from taking her hands. She gripped her basket tighter as Eiichi continued with less finesse than his brother,

"And her hands are already occupied."

"Such a beautiful," he sniffed discreetly and Kagome felt her face flame, "female should not have to carry such burdens." He glanced meaningfully at the mokomoko and her embarrassment grew.

"Not all things that are carried are burdensome, pup," said Eiji. The group of soldiers behind the newcomer had taken a keen interest in the conversation. Kagome felt her irritation slowly taking over. Were they seriously talking about her as if she wasn't even there?

"Indeed, some things are worth carrying." The soldier's eyes roved over her body and Kagome felt something snap.

"Eyes up here, buddy," she spit out between gritted teeth, pointing to her own face. "What I carry I do because that is _my_ desire - and none of your business. And don't think for a minute that I want someone else to fight my battles for me. If I need help, I'll ask, and I am most definitely not asking _you_." She called her reiki to light her outstretched hand with a little purification. It hurt, great kami, it hurt more than the time she broke her leg, or when Inuyasha had dropped her out of that tree, or even when a moth youkai had thrown her into a cliff. But her power came and flared bright pink, causing the pushy demon to back up with stammered apologies. His friends stared in awe and then broke out into snickers and taunts for the one who had been so thoroughly put in his place. Eiji and Eiichi swept her along the corridor and out of sight before she made them stop so she could lean against the wall and gasp for breath.

"Are you alright, Kagome-sama?" Eiichi asked with concern.

"Perhaps we should take you to Sesshomaru-sama," Eiji suggested. Kagome growled. The daiyoukai had been right about straining her reiki. She was willing to admit that, but she sure as hell wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of _telling _him so if she didn't have to. Still, she wanted to lie down with a cool cloth on her head and take a nap.

"I'll be fine. I just want to get back to the rooms and rest for a bit." The rock brothers moved her as quickly as she was able, which was pretty slow, and took her to an unfamiliar portion of the castle. "Where-"

"Construction and repairs have made the family quarters uncomfortable for humans," Eiji answered her unfinished question.

"And too loud for inu ears," Eiichi added dryly. Shippo and Rin were waiting inside with crayons and paper spread across a low table. She found a comfortable spot to sit and admire their work until lunch came. Jaken led a pair of female servants bearing more trays than Kagome thought would even fit on the table. He groused and squawked at the children for making a mess, and then ordered the females around, straightening and bringing in additional bedding and furnishings while they ate. The two sleeping rooms and the anteroom were cozy and ready for everyone's temporary residence while the hole in the wall was fixed. Privately, she wondered how long it would take to repair a single wall. She mentally shrugged, perhaps the damage had been structural. Kagome finished her third helping and forced herself to stop, she wasn't quite full, but her strange appetite would make it difficult to fit into her clothes if she wasn't careful. Jaken bowed low and whisked the dishes and servants away. Rin got out her brushes and ink and Shippo promised to show her his kanji if she would show him how to use the traditional writing implements. Kagome lay down on a simple futon, the screens open to the anteroom so that she could watch the children. She felt like she did nothing but sleep and eat since she had healed Sesshomaru. _And kiss. And touch all that pale skin._ Her thoughts were treacherous. Her eyes fluttered closed and she wondered what Sesshomaru was doing, and how much it would bother him to have her oil his tail. Thoroughly.

ooo

Rin and Shippo began plotting as soon as Kagome was laying down out of earshot. "Sesshomaru-sama has been very distracted," Rin clapped her hands with glee. "Kagome-sama has done a very good job being herself. My Lord is already wanting to spend time with her. Sesshomaru-sama misses her when they are apart, I can tell."

"Yeah, everybody can tell that," Shippo rolled his eyes. "It is a good thing Sesshomaru smells okay, 'cause I can't get near my mother without breathing in him too."

"That is very good," Rin nodded excitedly. "Inuyoukai only scent mark things that belong to them. So Sesshomaru-sama must want Kagome-sama to stay."

"Well, okay, maybe," Shippo admitted reluctantly. "Although it isn't like a scent mark is permanent. He could just want her to stay, for a while - like, until the sickness is all taken care of, or something. For all we know, he's going to kick us out as soon as everyone in the West is better."

"No, no," Rin shook her head and began preparing ink. "Sesshomaru-sama gave her his mokomoko-san."

"You said she was cold." Shippo stared at his friend, uncomprehending. Sure, it was weird that Sesshomaru let Kagome wear his tail around, but Shippo didn't know any other demons that could detach part of themselves like that, and most inuyoukai couldn't manage it either. He figured that it wasn't a big deal, or Sesshomaru wouldn't have done it. Besides, apparently it had to be washed, and while Shippo wouldn't let anyone he didn't really trust touch _his_ tail, the daiyoukai was probably powerful enough that even his _fur_ could defend itself.

"She was," Rin nodded and smiled widely, "but Rin has lots of blankets and furs to keep Kagome-sama warm. Sesshomaru-sama has only let Rin use mokomoko-san twice, and she had never been allowed to _wear_ it."

"Are you..." Shippo had a sinking feeling, "that doesn't bother you, does it?" Rin considered him for a moment, before answering seriously,

"Rin wishes sometimes that Sesshomaru-sama would hold her, and mokomoko-san is very good at cuddling. But if Sesshomaru-sama keeps Kagome-sama, then Rin will get lots and lots of hugs and cuddles!" Shippo could see the logic in that. It made a weird sort of Rin-sense. Like flowers plus Jaken equals happiness. Strange, but her math seemed to work.

"I'll take your word for it. So Sesshomaru is following the plan. He likes Kagome." Shippo frowned, "Now we just have to worry about Mama." Rin gasped.

"Kagome-sama doesn't like Sesshomaru-sama?" Her voice was horrified.

"Nooo," Shippo drew out the word. "Not exactly. She likes him well enough, I just can't tell if she _likes_ him." Rin frowned, and Shippo struggled to explain. It was weird trying to tell a girl, but Rin hadn't lived nearly as long as he had, and she didn't remember how her parents had been together, so she probably didn't have a lot of experience with adult stuff. He doubted Sesshomaru spent a lot of time telling Rin about feelings and where babies came from. "When adults like each other, like _that_…" he backed up. "Humans fall in love, they love each other right?" Rin nodded.

"Rin loves Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-sama and Shippo-kun."

"Well, thanks. I love you too, Rin-chan. But this is a different kind of love, the kind that makes babies." Rin's eyes widened comically, and Shippo smiled.

"Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-sama will have babies?"

"Well, they'd call 'em pups. Or maybe, well, they'd be hanyou, I guess, so…" He trailed off and considered her surprised expression. "That is what you wanted, right? For Kagome and Sesshomaru to get mated, er, married?"

"Yes!" Rin squealed, and then covered her mouth with both hands when Shippo cringed. They both glanced at Kagome. Luckily, she appeared to have fallen asleep. "Rin wants Kagome-sama and Sesshomaru-sama to be together forever." Her voice dropped a few levels so that she was almost whispering, "If Shippo-kun doesn't mind too much, Rin would like Kagome-sama to be her mother too." Shippo hesitated for a moment. Kagome was his. He had lost a lot: his parents, his home. But Kagome was his. Except...she told him lots of times that the more she loved, the more she had to give. So he supposed that meant that if she started to love Sesshomaru and Rin, that she would have more love for him too. Huh. That was like... Kagome-sense. Weird, but right.

"I bet Kagome would really like that, Rin. I would too, if you don't mind being my little sister?"

"Rin would be your big sister, silly! Rin is much taller!"

Shippo laughed, "But I'm older." Rin's eyes widened when Shippo told her how much older. He grinned and continued, "So I know Kagome likes Sesshomaru, but it's hard to tell if she loves him. And Kagome won't stay forever unless she does love him."

"How will we know?"

"Well," Shippo dredged up every memory he had of Kagome while she was in love with Inuyasha, and Sango after she had agreed to marry Miroku. Well, maybe Sango and Miroku were a bad example. "She'll want to be with him, even if he is mean or grumpy. Kagome will stare at him when she thinks he's not looking. She'll be really worried about him if he's hurt or sick, and she'll get _scary_ mad if anyone calls him names or tries to hurt him. Oh," Shippo remembered one last thing, "and sometimes she'll smell kind of like…" His voice faded away and he turned to stare through the open shoji screen. Kagome was asleep, wrapped in Sesshomaru's tail, with a small smile on her face. His eyes widened in realization, "Like that."

ooo

"No!" Ryukostokken snarled in fury and threw the first thing he touched. An intricate carved table, replacement for the one he had gouged with his claws, flew across the room. The spy neatly sidestepped and the furniture crashed into the wall, breaking into kindling. He could feel his youki building, tearing and clawing at his form and ready for release. His fangs lengthened and his claws sharpened. Heat bled into his eyes. _The pup lives!_ It was an outrage, it was disastrous, it was unbelievable. Only a few of his own, whom he had given medicine from the far west of the mainland to ease through the disease, had survived. All of them, every single one, were deformed in some way for that victory: scars, blindness, aching joints, reduced youki, stunted growth and malformed limbs. And yet he was to believe that the pup, the weak, arrogant teat that had stolen what should have been his...the cowardly pretender to power who rode on his father's ill-gotten laurels...that Sesshomaru had survived unscathed... It must be a lie. Blood-red eyes turned on the spy and a deep sound of promised pain echoed in the room.

"The human woman has healing powers. She cured the Western Lord." Ruykostokken paused, his violent temper checked by the revelation of another source for his enemy's health. "They call her the Miko no Mao." Ruykostokken roared, this time the silk hangings in his reception room receiving his wrath. Great, sharp implements of death shredded millennia-old works of art. The dogs were doing it again. Like the spineless worms they were, they slipped out of the noose that fate should have tightened around their necks long ago. Sesshomaru could not have beaten his disease on his own inferior strength, so he had enlisted another. The human woman. The whore.

The dragon lord braced himself against the stone ledge of the window and stared out at the thickly falling snow. He had been planning his revenge since his father had been sealed. He had fled his enemies, but returned to Japan with a new weapon, a disease that no youkai could combat without his assistance. His own body had been deformed, and he had to sit back while the bastard of Inu no Tashio killed his sire so that he could enact his plan. He refused to be thwarted by a human female. Although...perhaps not worthless. The spy was detailing that his informant had seen her collapse. Sesshomaru had raced to her aid, protecting her with his own fur and youki. A tiny whisper of inspiration brought a smile of vile hope to Ryukostokken's face. The spy halted in his report.

"Ryukostokken-denkaue?" The dragon lord turned his new strategy over in his mind, searching for errors and looking for faults. He found none. No miko would be strong enough to kill him, and no miko would have willingly entered the service of a youkai. If she hadn't managed to fend off the sniveling pup then Ryukostokken had nothing to be concerned about. The smile widened, until his fangs were bared in a fierce grin. Thin tendrils of smoke curled from his mouth and nose. Illness had proved that Sesshomaru was not untouchable. The pup's concern for the human displayed another chink in his armor. The dog would cower and beg at his feet, and after Ryukostokken had claimed all that Sesshomaru held with pride, the greater demon would gut him.

"Bring the female," he ordered. Malice dripped from his words and his eyes glittered with dark intent, "This one will _have_ the Miko no Mao." Her suffering at his hands would be a welcome enjoyment, a far better distraction than the wind demoness or those dragon females he allowed at the castle. Even better, the sensitive nose of the dog would know that she had been taken. He laughed at the sweet duality. His pleasure, Sesshomaru's pain.


	13. Chapter 13

Kagome had woken extremely well-rested from her nap to find that she was left with only minor aches from her recent attempt to use her powers. She meditated, and discovered, to her relief, that there wasn't anything wrong with her reiki, but it was exhausted. She guessed that it might have taken a week or so for her to regenerate all of the energy she spent healing Sesshomaru and the rest of the castle if she had left her powers alone. Her session with Aki and Kento had probably pushed that time back considerably. And then the demonstration for the soldier, well...that was just stupid. Her temper had a habit of getting her into trouble, and she had no one to blame but herself. She wasn't sure how long it would take her reiki to get better, but she wasn't in any pain, and she could tell it was recuperating, so she swore to keep her energy to herself and got up to play with the children.

They read for a while and Kagome was surprised to find that neither Shippo nor Rin fit well in her lap anymore. Rin was a bit more expected, but the kit must have grown at least an inch since they had arrived at the castle, maybe more. She supposed she should be grateful that he was getting new clothes at Sesshomaru's expense, but mostly she just felt nostalgic that he was growing up so quickly. By late-afternoon they were getting restless, so Kagome suggested an outing. She changed into her modern clothes and Eiichi and Eiji escorted them to a courtyard sheltered from the wind. They built snowmen and had an impressive fort started when Inuyasha arrived from the training grounds. They quickly drew sides, Rin and the hanyou against Shippo and Kagome, and had a snowball fight that occasionally took innocent bystanders. Eiichi was a good sport. Eiji was not.

Happily tired and starving, they returned to their temporary lodgings and had a boisterous and lengthy supper. Kagome even convinced the rock brothers to take turns eating with them. Jaken and the servants returned to clear away the dishes and Inuyasha relaxed on the floor While Rin and Shippo took turns reading with a fairy-tale book from Kagome's time. She had waited patiently though supper. And then impatiently during the first story. He had said they would discuss the trip over dinner. Over _dinner_. As in, while they were eating. She knew he was busy; he was a lord, for crying out loud, he probably had a million things to do. Still, even lords should have breaks for things like eating, sleeping, and satisfying the curiosity of an anxious miko. His mokomoko pooled in her lap and she found herself absently petting it. She stopped and blushed as soon as she realized what she was doing, and then considered it. He had said she should oil the fur in exchange for using it. While she had her doubts that he was being strictly selfless with that offer, it would be rude not to take care of it. After all, it had kept her warm all day, even in the snow. Kagome smiled a devilish smile, her cheeks heating even redder. And if she had to really work to get the oil rubbed in, well then, there wasn't really anything wrong with that. She was just doing what he had asked her to do. If it bothered him, if she was being too _thorough_, then he could come tell her that.

Satisfied with the twisted logic that absolved her of any ulterior motives, she grabbed her oil and a blanket to protect her new kimono. Starting at the...not tail end, she poured a small amount of leave-in conditioning oil into her hands and rubbed them together. Then she went to work.

ooo

Sesshomaru was growing impatient. He had read all of the details of Kento's report on the North, and had come to the conclusion that the dragon lord was amassing information. To what end, he was not yet certain, except that it would be, at best, irritating to him. Since Ryukostokken had returned to Japan, he had stayed firmly within his own borders. It had never concerned Sesshomaru. There were daiyoukai, even other lords, who urged him to wipe the dragons out, as they had tried to do to the Western Lands when the Inu no Tashio was killed. Sesshomaru had not seen the logic. The war that raged between the demons and humans when Izayoi was murdered, then revived and fled with her hanyou child, had taken immense tolls on both sides. It was over before the dragon lord returned, but moving against him, even with the reduced resources and army of the north, was unwise.

The rebuilding of that time was followed by another war, this time with rogue demons from the mainland. The South had been decimated, as they had borne the brunt of the attacks, but the invaders had been beaten back. Sesshomaru led his own forces, the only army that contained mixed demon ranks, to victory after victory. He saw no reason not to capitalize on the strengths of those that would fight for him. A mortal blow did the same damage from a panther as a badger, and two fighters with different styles could make each other stronger. He had even asked Inuyasha to join him, but the hanyou had bitterly declined. It was that war that had earned him the title Saidai Mao. Through all of that, all of the years, the north had remained silent. Even humans rarely ventured into the lands still quietly patrolled by dragons. None ever came out. There had been rumors that Ryukostokken slowly culled all of the non-dragon youkai from his domain, but it did not affect the West, or any of the other demon lords.

Even if the portents regarding the dragons turned out to be worse than his scouts and advisors feared, he still believed he had made the right decision. Not that he would hesitate to ever cut down an enemy that might cause problems in the future. No, it had simply been the wrong time before. Japan had been divided by wars and distrust. He could have eliminated the dragons, but the cost to his lands would have been too high. It was one of the reasons he preferred to patrol his lands without assistance. Any that he did battle with alone, were alone. There were no armies to consider. No innocent villages to protect. No alliances or trade routes or economic consequences. If he had to strike against the north now, he would do so, but it was not a pleasing prospect. Killing, that he had no issues with. He even enjoyed it on occasion, especially when the opponent was honorable and challenging. Ferreting out the dragons and eliminating them would be tiresome, bloody work that had little honor or personal meaning. It would be business. The business of the West. Of Japan.

The annoying administrator that oversaw the outer chambers slunk into the study again, this time with fresh paper. Sesshomaru restrained the urge to lash the obsequious demon with his youki. Thankfully, Hisao was much more short-tempered. He physically booted the intruder and returned to his place next to Kento.

"We should send an emissary to the wolf-pack," Hisao suggested.

"Kouga-san's wolves?"

"Who else, Kento-san?" Hisao made a disgusted sound. "He is the only one who has any control over the wolf-youkai. Damn things are more animal than demon most of the time." Kento sighed and added a few marks to his list.

"There are not many who could bring us information on the East, and fewer still who could bring the chaos there into any sort of order. If Lord Kuren has been assassinated by an outside force. then another daiyoukai may be afraid to step into his rol. It will be a near impossible task to make the demons there fall into line. They will be wild and uncontrolled."

Hisao snorted, "They were wild and uncontrolled before. There is a reason why Kouga-san has so much authority in the East, and why Inuyasha was able to carve out his own little human territory. Kuren never did anything without spending at least twenty years contemplating the consequences, and even then he rarely acted. The male was a coward and a bureaucrat. It is too bad his father died without another heir."

"Spineless bureaucrats are sometimes the only government we get, Hisao-san. It was better than nothing. With Kuren dead, the demons will be in a panic. They'll attack humans and other youkai alike, without stopping to consider anything. The wolf packs will hold the mountains well enough, and Edo and the surrounding forests and village will stand as one under Inuyasha, but I estimate that everything from here," Kento pointed at the map before them with the handle of his brush, "to here will fall to chaos within a year."

"What hasn't already been lost to the disease. Kagome-sama said that many of the human villages as close as two-days walk from Edo had the illness. Assuming her quarantine worked, everything north of here," Hisao drew a light crease with the back of his claw, "will have been stricken. We'll have to send someone who won't startle the humans if we want any good information. After a plague they always get anxious about outsiders, especially demons."

"Inuyasha will go," Sesshomaru declared tonelessly. They had been over all of this before. He had questioned the scout from the East regarding the fall of Kuren, and then listened as Hisao and Kento went over his information again. After he was dismissed, other reports were heard and similarly dissected. There was nothing that further study would tell them about the situation. Sesshomaru was ready to be done with it. Reviewing each piece of information three times was tiresome; it was enough to make him wish that Kento had stayed in Aki's bed so that there was one less opinion to listen to. The inuyoukai had not apologized for his absence, nor for requesting Kagome's assistance. In a certain light, Sesshomaru could understand. After five hundred years of waiting, Kento had a chance at the mate he had been chasing and a pack of his own. It was understandable that he would seize the opportunity. However, he should have consulted his lord before asking Sesshomaru's miko to use her skills. The consequences would be determined later. If Kento was lucky, Sesshomaru would be in a better mood then.

He had felt her reiki pulse once earlier in the day, but it quieted almost immediately. His youki sensed no danger, although it urged him to go to her regardless. He shackled his instincts and threw himself into his work. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could see to the miko. He could feel the muscle in his jaw tightening, and he was supremely aware that darkness had fallen. He could smell supper faintly, being served to the soldiers and, no doubt, to Kagome and the others as well. Sesshomaru had told her they would speak over dinner. He did not appreciate being made to go back on his word.

"Inuyasha," Kento said in the same flat voice.

"Your brother," Hisao stated with a quirked brow.

"Half-brother," Sesshomaru corrected. He could see that they disagreed, and he did not want to take the time for them to come around to the correct solution on their own. He held back a sigh of frustration. "He has made contact with most of the human and youkai villages in the East during the search for the shards of the Shikon. He is trusted and respected by many of the humans there, and strong enough to deal with the lesser youkai that may try to take advantage of the situation."

"Strong enough," Hisao snorted, "he has barely held his own with me on the training grounds, and he lacks any sort of technique!"

"He is untutored," Sesshomaru corrected. His nostrils flared and he hoped that the two other dogs would sense his irritation. He did not want to be in his study at that moment, in fact, had a much more desirable place to be, and pointing out the finer qualities of his father's bastard hanyou was not improving his mood. "A hanyou less than half your age with no formal training has bested you once and held his ground all other times. This one believes his strength will suffice." When Hisao did not object again, he continued, "His well-known animosity with this one will serve him well should our conjectures about our enemy be proven correct. They are more likely to share plans with a potential ally against this one than with a youkai known to serve the West."

"What of diplomacy?" Kento ventured quietly. "If any are left of Kuren's vassals, they will be difficult to steer from misdirected revenge. Will Inuyasha be able to harness them to a greater goal? Will he be able to ally with Kouga-san and any other strong demon packs in the East?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru said simply. A tingle ran down his spine and he sat up straighter. The feeling was muffled, but he was aware of a firm kneading of the tight muscles in his neck and shoulders. A rumble of pleasure started to build in his chest. He cut it off abruptly before Kento and Hisao could be alerted to the sound. "Inuyasha can be...compelling." Warm caresses worked across the skin of his back, brushing, flexing, stroking. He forced himself to focus. "When he wants to be. In addition, the miko's other companions will no doubt accompany him." Sesshomaru sucked in a breath and held it. As if she was seated behind him, he could feel the miko's hands massaging from the base of his hair to the tops of his hips. She made long, pulling motions that were designed to ease the tension from him. They had that effect, and also the unintended consequence, he was sure, of making him desire her hands on the rest of his body. _I explicitly told her not to touch mokomoko in such a way._ "The monk and slayer," he let out his breath when the sensation eased, "have much experience with such matters. The monk, in particular, is a skilled diplomat. Even you, Kento, would be-" Her hands returned and Sesshomaru had to snap his mouth shut or risk growling in a way that neither Hisao or Kento would appreciate.

"My Lord?" Kento ventured.

"We will discuss it with the hanyou in the morning. This one is finished here," he spoke tightly and left via the shoji screens that led outside. He wished to waste no time avoiding servants or administrators, he had a miko that needed reprimanding. Immediately. He used his cloud to speed up to the third floor guest quarters and let himself down on the wide walkway outside her rooms in a few short seconds. He slid open the shoji screen and quickly surveyed the chamber. Rin had been reading, but the scroll was forgotten when he entered. She greeted him with a smile and a happy 'Sesshomaru-sama!' but did not rise from her cushioned spot. On one side of her lay the kitsune, his head lolling against her knee and his mouth open in a quiet snore. On the other side sat Inuyasha. In the moment it had taken him to recognize Sesshomaru's scent and youki, his hand had gripped Tessaiga and his muscles tensed to stand. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, but he gave his half-brother a nod and Inuyasha returned it.

Her scent was still strong and lightly seasoned with cinnamon, the miko sat in the doorway to the sleeping chamber she had claimed as her own. He could smell her scent on the futon. She wore the kimono he had commissioned for her, and he felt a surge of pride in seeing her in his colors, in garments he had designed and purchased for her use. Her hair was held back in a strange style, and although he preferred it free, and spread across his chest, she looked beautiful. Mokomoko lay across her lap, the majority of it showed signs that she had completed oiling it - which he had already guessed. She held one of his tails in her hands, a guilty look on her face.

"Miko," his voice was low, but he found he could not control that. He could barely suppress the growl that threatened to escape. It took an immense amount of will to reign in his youki and control his scent. Unfortunately, he was not quick enough to avoid his half-brother's nose.

"Ya gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me," Inuyasha muttered in disgust. There was a sniff behind Sesshomaru, and the hanyou stood. He would have continued, but Rin interrupted him.

"Inuyasha-san." She had a disappointed, warning note in her voice, "Bad words."

"Keh. I'll be outside." He stalked over to the shoji screen and slid them shut behind him as he joined the rock brothers. Sesshomaru considered the situation. Due to the construction, the family quarters, both his and Rin's, were far too cold for humans. He had relocated the females to a guest suite, but he had not considered that the kit would stay where his mother was. Inuyasha, too, was overly protective of the miko. He would become argumentative if she was taken out of range of his senses. Useless for the hanyou, of course, but he did not wish to deal with another hole in his walls. It did necessitate alterations to his plans for informing the miko that he would not tolerate her disobedience. _Willful_ disobedience, if her guilty expression and scent were correct.

"Rin, prepare for bed." He picked up the sleeping kit and held him close, ready to tuck him into the miko's futon.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Her voice halted his progress. "May Shippo-kun sleep in Rin's room? We already moved a futon," she gestured to the nest on the floor near her own mound of bedding. Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Shippo-kun and Rin do not want to be alone in this new room. It is different."

"Hn." He changed directions, and the miko was quick to stand and follow him to tuck her adopted son in. She stood by silently while he lifted the blankets and settled the kitsune into place. He secured the bedding around him. Pups and children needed to be kept warm at night, he assumed the same was true for kits. A strand of his hair had gotten caught in the little demon's claws. He carefully extracted it and stood, to find the miko staring at him with an odd expression. Her scent was...confused. Not only were there too many emotions filtering through his nose, but there was also a strong thread of the muddled, bland taste of her confusion.

"May Rin hug Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Hn." His daughter wrapped her arms around his waist, and Sesshomaru noted that she had grown again. He placed one hand on her head, patting her hair and calculating that at her current rate she would be fully-grown in another year or two. Shorter than the miko, perhaps, but still a respectable height for a human female. He let his claws slip through her loose hair, scent-marking her. "Sleep." She obliged, happily crawling into her futon and wishing the adults good night. It occurred to him that perhaps the miko might learn to follow commands better if she spent more time with Rin. He waited in the anteroom while she kissed both children and shut the screens. "This one will speak with the hanyou. You will wait." He made his gaze as cold as possible to show her that a serious discussion was forthcoming. It did not affect her.

"Your mokomoko," she said calmly. Her voice was steady, but her scent was a riot of emotion and her cheeks were pink. He wondered, again, how far her blush extended. She held out the fur, and his traitorous tail twined around her arm as he took it. At his touch, it relaxed and merged with him again. It was disconcerting, but as long as no others saw how mokomoko clung to her, he would not prevent it from the display. He had already admitted that he preferred her touch, even her company. The lesser part of himself would share the inclination. Her scent was deeply worked into the fur, along with the mild, pleasant odor of her oils. He had covered her with his own scent, but he was not certain how he felt about being equally marked by the miko.

"You will wait," he repeated, and left to seek out the hanyou. The rock demons were still stationed in the corridor, and Sesshomaru dismissed them, ignoring the sidelong glances to his tails. Inuyasha was slouched against the opposite wall, one foot on the floor and his arms crossed defiantly. _Always eager for a fight._ The daiyoukai refrained from shaking his head in exasperation. "In the morning, you will go to the East and investigate reports of attacks on the villages there. You will determine if the Eastern Lord, Kuren, has been assassinated and if any of his House live. You will return and report to this one."

"Keh. Like I'm gonna take orders from you, asshole."

"Kuren is dead. It is probable his pack and vassals are as well." Inuyasha only scowled, so Sesshomaru reigned in his impatience and explained. Slowly. "The miko reported that the sickness was widespread in the East. This one has obtained reports of attacks on youkai villages there. The demons are unorganized and have no leader. The humans are ill and frightened." Sesshomaru wanted to sigh. His half-brother smelled confused as well as angry. "You are more familiar with humans than this one. What will frightened villagers do when confronted with youkai refugees fleeing illness and attacks?"

"Fuckin' hell," Inuyasha muttered. _Finally, he comprehends._ Leading another to the correct conclusions was tedious. "They'll kill every demon they see. And the demons will strike back. It'll be a fuckin' bloodbath."

"Indeed. Perhaps it would be best if the humans were met with a familiar presence, rather than a strange youkai."

"Fucker." Inuyasha glared, but his scent was full of acceptance. "If you mate Kagome while I'm gone, I'll cut off that arm again and beat you with it." _Tactful and eloquent as always. _Sesshomaru pondered the hanyou's words. The miko was his. He would keep her. But he had not considered what that would mean to him, to them. He had every intention of claiming her body, but to make her his mate… "You bastard!" Inuyasha hissed, obviously sensing his hesitation and drawing his own conclusions. He pushed away from the wall and stood with one hand on the Fang. "You were gonna- gonna _use_ my friend and throw her aside, like some whore-" Sesshomaru was at his throat in an instant. This time he did not make the mistake of allowing the hanyou enough air to speak. His youki was clawing for release, and he was angry enough to want to let it out.

"Do. _Not_. Speak of the miko in such a way again. Your foul words are underserved." He bared his fangs, "And they displease this one." With great effort, he pulled his claws from his brother's throat and stepped back.

"You're the one who said it shamed father," he rasped. He still smelled of anger, but also...sadness. "She is my friend, Sesshomaru. I won't let you do that to her."

"You would not be able to stop this one," Sesshomaru noted without any heat. He did want the miko. But he would not shame her. She was worthy of a place of honor. But a mate...a mate was for eternity. A mate produced pups, heirs. He had already decided that he would not allow her to age and die as other humans did. Pups, however…

"I would die trying. And Kagome _does_ love me, Sesshomaru. If you killed me, you'd have to force her to stay. You'd have to keep her locked up and force yourself on her if you wanted her. Is that how it will be with Kagome?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered without realizing he had spoken. He blinked. He would never hurt the miko. He could not. And she _would_ stay with him, invite his attentions, because she desired it to be so. He had already decided that he preferred her acquiescence. But pups… He ignored Inuyasha's hateful stare and imagined the miko holding his son or daughter. Wide golden eyes meeting soft blue. Tiny claws on her breast. _I will remind the young one to be careful._ White hair strewn across her kimono. Pointed ears straining for the sound of its mother's voice. Sesshomaru stiffened his already straight posture. Not pointed ears. Furry dog ears, like Inuyasha. A hanyou, like Inuyasha. He considered his brother with renewed interest. "Hanyou," he murmured quietly.

"What? You got somethin' to say for yourself, bastard?" Inuyasha was uncouth and tactless, but those were products of his upbringing, or lack thereof. It might not have been so if their father had lived...and he had given Izayoi the place she deserved. Sesshomaru had spoken the truth to Hisao. The hanyou was stronger than most full-youkai. Formal training would make him superior to nearly all but Sesshomaru himself. The demon blood of their father ran in his veins, and if he ever managed to control his youki, he would be a formidable opponent. Despite the prejudices against hanyou from demons and humans alike, Inuyasha had gained allies and friends of both species. Sesshomaru had never considered taking a mate or having pups of his own, but still... He realigned his mental image to give the pup fuzzy triangles on the top of its head. The picture was no less attractive to him. Would, could, the West accept a hanyou heir? _My choices are my own_.

"She will be this one's mate," he announced, more so that he could hear the words himself than out of any need to reassure his brother. Inuyasha made a derisive sound,

"Ya haven't _asked_ her yet, have ya?"

"She will agree with this one's decision. Your presence is not required or desired." He narrowed his eyes to make certain that Inuyasha got the point. The hanyou chuckled, his scent easing to one of anticipation with only traces of darker emotions.

"This thing in the East better not take too long, 'cause I don't wanna miss the shitstorm you are about to crash right into. It's gonna be great." Sesshomaru ignored his laughter and turned back to the rooms. "Ya sleeping here?" His voice was disapproving, and the answer self-evident, so Sesshomaru did not respond. "Stupid wench'll let ya too. Keh. Whatever. I ain't guarding your ass all night and smellin' you," his voice dropped and the sadness grew stronger, "and her. Ya know she used to...she smells nice, doesn't she?" There was an aching sort of regret, but no longing, in his brother's voice, so Sesshomaru did not remove his tongue for commenting on the miko's scent. He tried to imagine what it would be like to have the miko to himself for years, and then know she was no longer his. It would never happen. Still...he could understand Inuyasha's loss. At least the hanyou had recognized that the miko belonged to Sesshomaru.

"The kit and Rin would miss your presence. This one will erect a barrier for sound and scent. In the morning, you will leave for the East." He slid open the door, and seeing that the miko had ignored his order and gone into her own sleeping chamber, he said quietly, "Cherry wood and magnolias." He sensed, more than saw, Inuyasha's nod behind him.

"Yeah." The hanyou closed the screen and settled himself against a wall to sleep. "At least the fuckin' wolf didn't get her. Can't wait to see the look on the mangy mutt's face," his mutters were insensible, but Sesshomaru filed them away for further consideration. He slipped into the room and threw up his youki barrier even before the screen had softly clicked closed. Kagome stood still, eyes wide and obi dangling from her fingers, obviously mid-way through undressing for bed. He breathed in her scent and it soothed him; it confirmed all of the decisions he had made about her. She was his. He would claim her. She would be his mate and bear his pups. They would be hanyou, and stronger than any other's. He wondered if they might develop a resistance to purification, and put that aside for further contemplation as well.

"I, ah-" Her embarrassment was abruptly replaced with irritation. "What are you doing in here? I am trying to change!"

"I was not aware that miko had such power." He deliberately misunderstood her, and waited with a contented sort of anticipation for her reaction. "What sort of form do you change to? It cannot be as pleasing as this one, but I would see it regardless."

"Why, you- I-" Her face grew red again, but he was unable to discern if it was from modesty or anger. He enjoyed the peppery spice in her scent. "I can't change into anything, you nut!"

"Nut? Is this a term from your era? I do not understand what-"

"You're completely crazy! Do you even listen to yourself? You think you can just barge in here and- and-"

"Converse?" He suggested helpfully.

"Arrgh!" Her growl did strange things to the hairs on the back of his neck. And other parts of his anatomy. "You are so frustrating! It is like talking to a mental patient." He opened his mouth to goad her again, but she beat him to it with clenched teeth. "I am trying to tell you, you can't be in here, not while I am trying to undress."

"You do not wish me to see your nudity," he said calmly. Her face reddened again and she nodded in a strangled sort of relief. He almost smiled. "Has it changed in some way since this morning? You have said you did not have the power to-"

"Sesshomaru-sama," she interrupted him sweetly. The daiyoukai was enjoying himself too much to take any notice of her dangerous tone. Pink sparks crackled along her fists. "Get out or I'll -" She broke off abruptly with a sound of agony. He was at her side in an instant, holding her against his chest as she sank to the floor. "Oh, it hurts!" She panted, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Sesshomaru reached out with his youki, desperate to understand and stop her pain. Her body seemed fine, but her reiki was curled in on itself like an injured animal. It snapped at him when he approached, drawing another _mewl_ from the miko. With the smallest amount of power he could manipulate, he wrapped it around her energy. The second time, her reiki responded, turning into him and burrowing against him seeking warmth and protection. Her power was far beyond the exhausted state he had encountered after her session with Aki. She had over-used it. Like prey that runs until it is weakened, and then goes on until it is crippled, she had pushed her powers beyond their limit until they would require significant rest to recuperate. Perhaps even more than that. He settled her on the futon, her legs folded to her chest and her head and shoulder leaning against him.

"You have damaged yourself. I instructed you not to use your reiki." He recalled the brief moment earlier that day when he had felt her power. His instinct had been to go to her, but he ignored it as his senses told him she was physically well. Physically, not spiritually. His jaw tightened and he berated himself for not caring for her properly. She would be his mate. He could not allow anyone to damage her. Not even herself.

"My temper," she whimpered. "Mama always says it will get me into trouble. I thought she meant detention. I didn't think it would hurt so-" He stopped in the act of standing when she clutched at his clothing. "Please, don't go, it hurts less when you-"

"Hush," he smoothed his hand across her hair. "My youki will stay, I wish only to remove my boots." He had to pry her fingers from his collar, and she still made sounds of distress as he stood and toed off his boots. He quickly divested himself of everything but his pants as well, determining that she would be reluctant to let him go again to make himself more comfortable. As he was reluctant to leave her. He knelt next to her, and seized her small hands when she would have latched onto him again. Her whimper shot straight through his chest. He should have taken her personally from the springs to her room. He would not fail her again. He loosed the ribbons tying her kimono closed and she made no protest as he slid it from her shoulders. He reached for the ties of her inner kimono and she finally balked.

"Sesshomaru?" she whispered.

"You should be comfortable. You need to rest." She still smelled anxious, although it was difficult to scent under the fear and pain. "And you are wrinkling your kimono," he added in the calmest voice he could manage.

"Oh, yes, please help…" She moved her arms to try and assist him, but her motions were more of a hindrance. Her sandals and socks had already been removed, and he was reluctant to sort through the strange braid of her hair, so he pulled her into his lap and tossed her two kimono on top of his own. "The wrinkles -" she protested weakly.

"Hush," he soothed her again. Carefully he lay down on her futon, holding her close to his chest. She refused to unfold her legs, and if it eased the pain he was not going to force her. Instead, he lay down with her tucked between his chest and his arm. He pulled a light blanket and arranged mokomoko over top of them. As his body heat seeped in to her and his claws traced lightly up across her spine, he stroked her reiki as well. Slowly, he added additional tendrils of his own power, cradling the bruised pink light in a thickening web of youki. He smelled it when her pain eased to a manageable level and her spirit relaxed against him, relying on his energy to support and comfort it. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and traced the line of her jaw. "You must not use your reiki again until I know you are completely healed."

"It was just for a moment," she whispered against his chest. "I just wanted to show that jerk I wasn't helpless." His beast raised its head at the mention of the 'jerk' but he set the potential for a rage-induced disemboweling aside. He could find the one responsible later. The miko needed him now.

"You are never helpless. I am here."

"You won't always be, Sesshomaru. If I depend on you to fight my battles, what will I do when you're not around anymore?" He wanted to reprimand her for even considering that they would be parted. He would not allow it.

"I will always protect you," he responded instead. She hummed non-committally and yawned. He listened through the one-way barrier as Rin slid open her screen and approached Inuyasha. They spoke in hushed tones for a moment about Sesshomaru's location and Inuyasha's pending departure. The girl should be in bed. He began a rumbling vibration in his chest, something he remembered his father doing, a very, very long time ago, to soothe an injured pup. She yawned again and pressed her face into his skin, breathing in his scent and leaving her own in return.

"I am sorry for being such a burden, Sesshomaru. You-" she yawned again, "you brought me here to help, and you have spent so much time watching out for me."

"It is my duty." A sharp jab to his reasoning skills, something rude that felt an unfortunate amount like Inuyasha, reminded him that she was more independent and required more reassurance than most females. "My choices are my own, Kagome." She was breathing softly, deeply, and he wasn't sure if she had heard him. Her reiki was resting, encased in his own power. He was surprised he had managed to push his powers so deeply inside her with no real effort or thought, and little resistance on her part. The miko was asleep. He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his own eyes, realizing with a reluctant smile that she had managed to avoid a discussion on his intentions, as well as the repercussions of her actions with mokomoko. The miko was truly unique, and her challenges were part of her appeal. He listened to Rin and Inuyasha, speaking of nothing and wasting time that the girl would have better spent sleeping. _I told her to go to bed. _He wondered briefly, as he inhaled sweet magnolias and drifted into a light doze, if Rin's exposure to the miko would not make Kagome more biddable, but instead make Rin less so.


	14. Chapter 14

**The following chapter contains scenes of graphic violence that may be disturbing to some readers.**

ooo

"How many dead?"

"Thirty-seven, Ryukostokken-denkaue. The village was nearly wiped out."

"Next time, kill them all," he ordered his captain. Ryukostokken stared at the map before him. Eighteen villages in the West, forty-two in the East. He had directed they leave survivors at first. Survivors became refugees. Refugees sapped resources and strained defenses. They told tales of suffering and death. And those that did not speak, they were even greater allies to his cause. Every fourth village the dragons captured and tortured a few - human or youkai mattered little. The most effective method was to cut out their tongues. His soldiers were not inflicting pain to gain information; if they did it was an axillary benefit. They left vicious scars, wounds that would never heal on the flesh and the spirit. Those that survived were turned loose, close to the next village so that they would receive treatment for their injuries. The ones that could not, or would not, talk...they inspired fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of the dark and monstrous things that the imagination could conjure with greater creativity and terrorizing effect than any half-mumbled story of raiders and murderers.

Ryukostokken knew what fear was. He knew its power. The deaths of the lesser youkai and filthy humans were pleasing to him as well, but it was the stark, hushed whispers of death without a face that he wanted to reach other ears. By the time he moved his army, the small bands of assassins would have created a panic that would shake the foundations of Japan. Even the arrogantSesshomaru would tremble, wondering what such whispers could mean of his enemy.

"What of Kuren?"

"The crane of the East is no more, my Lord."

"It was painful?"

"As you ordered, Denka-ue. He was incapacitated in another room while his mate and daughter were raped and flayed. The child died just as we released him. The female put up a considerable fight; he saw her last breaths before I ripped out his heart." Ryukostokken reveled in the satisfaction that welled in him. Kuren had been a new lord when he returned from the mainland. Ryukostokken had approached him for a trade alliance, to help bring wealth and prestige back to the North. The crane refused, stating that even if he had the fortune and goods to risk on the dragons, he would not be willing to make a move that would so obviously displease Sesshomaru. _Displease_ him. As though his simple displeasure was worth more than the fate of the North. Kuren had gotten only a fraction of what he deserved. Ryukostokken wished briefly that the crane had been more prolific, that there might be other children that could be brought back to his castle, screaming. It had been many decades since he had tasted the flesh of bird youkai. As he recalled, the young ones were the most tender.

He also recalled that the Lord of the South had at least two cubs, although the older was well into adulthood, the younger had been born only a century or so ago. Bear meat had good marbling, and would still be full and sweet so early in the season. "When we take the South, you will bring the second heir to this one - alive."

"Yes, Denka-ue."

"Speak of the fate of this village," he pointed to another speck on his map. He sat back with his sake and listened to the number of deaths, the mutilations of those that were allowed to flee, and smiled.

ooo

Sesshomaru was eager for the repairs to his rooms to be completed. With the miko's condition, he was unwilling to be separated further from her than his nose could easily discern her state. He was certain he could maintain the youki bandage he had made for her power from a greater distance, but there was no need to test it when he was more comfortable in closer proximity. Kento had brought his most pressing work to the antechamber outside her room, and his secretary handled all visitors and reports, personally relaying any information that Sesshomaru needed to hear immediately. Unfortunately, the room was far too small for himself, his work, Kento, and occasionally Hisao. It made him want to growl in irritation. He knew the miko; the was uncommonly cheerful woman would endeavor to look for positive repercussions. He considered it.

His kowtowing administrator's presence did not fit in the smaller guest apartments, nor was it allowed above the main floor of the castle. The absence of that demon was welcome. He could smell her clearly. Not on mokomoko, which had been reluctant to leave her when he rose, but through the rice paper screen that separated them. He could smell her clean scent, finally free from pain after a long night at her side. He could hear each small sound she made as she shifted restlessly or murmured through a dream. Her nearness was pleasing.

Unfortunately, the close quarters also necessitated that Rin and Shippo be sent elsewhere so that he could concentrate on what must be done. As soon as he had finished instructions to Inuyasha, the children bid their goodbyes. The kit gave reminders to say hello to those in Edo, and passed along notes and drawings for the slayer and monk. He even teased, calling Sesshomaru's half-brother 'nisan' and earning a rough smack to the back of his furry head. Rin offered her hand, as a proper lady should, and then impulsively hugged the hanyou. Sesshomaru determined, as his nose was offended by her unshed tears, that she had grown far too attached to his bastard sibling. Although it was amusing to see a child successfully admonish Inuyasha for his foul language. Jaken was summoned soon after and led the children away for breakfast elsewhere and a game that made Rin clap with excitement and Jaken groan in dread.

He ate little himself, hoping only that the savory smell would tempt the miko to wake, but she slumbered on. He worked for hours, reading reports, demanding information, signing orders, and glaring at anyone who spoke above a whisper when they entered. Hisao and Kento appeared as a servant removed the untouched lunch tray, and he was reminded again of the dissatisfactory size of the room. Three large inuyoukai made it uncomfortable. Hisao was also not known for his well-modulated voice. Sesshomaru stood and waved them to the outer walkway. He paused to look in on the sleeping miko and then followed them out. The cold and falling snow would not bother the youkai, and their voices would not reverberate against the screens, disturbing her.

"If I may, Sesshomaru-sama," Kento began.

"This is ridiculous," Hisao interrupted. Sesshomaru was torn between amusement and the desire to vent his frustration and pent up concern on his subordinates. Kento, ever the diplomat, had been walking on eggshells since Sesshomaru had revealed that Aki's new state came at the health of the miko. Hisao was even shorter-tempered than usual, having been forced to deal with a higher state of tension within the troops, a new, nearly equal standing with Inuyasha, and relaying messages from the flighty administrator, who was chafing at his restriction from his Lord. "You can't keep working like this. Only the bare minimum is getting accomplished, and there is much more that needs to be done. We cannot discuss plans for potential attacks or defense if you are spending all of your time reading mail. That is a job for clerks!"

"And we do appreciate the occupation, Hisao-san," Kento said dryly.

"There are more important things for the Saidai Mao to be doing!"

"Paperwork is important. It brings word of your potential attacks, it orders resources and men for defense, I think I even have your payroll here somewhere - waiting for authorization."

"I'll show you where you can put your authorization!"

Sesshomaru was getting a headache listening to the two dogs bark at each other. Tensions were high among his closest advisors, only few outside of their group of three had heard the reports, seen the missives that crossed Sesshomaru's desk. No one else had seen them all. The knowledge of what _could be_ weighed heavily on them. Coupled with forced inaction and tight quarters it was pushing them to the edge. He felt his own mask slipping. He bore the responsibility for all that happened in the West, and the condition of the miko still concerned him. He growled.

The low, warning vibration was accompanied by a pulse of youki. Hisao's mouth snapped shut, though he was still fuming. Kento folded his hands neatly in his sleeves, his eyes flashing. "Cease this foolishness at once." His command was met with silence, and the daiyoukai took a deep breath of crisp winter air and magnolias and continued, "This one's rooms shall be finished tomorrow, we will reconvene there until the miko is well. The administrator and his clerks will have no further access to reports."

"Sesshomaru-sama," Kento began, then fell quiet with a low bow under his Lord's intense scrutiny.

"What can wait for this one's attention will do so. Evaluating the wake of the disease and making arrangements to deal with it are the first priority, seconded by information gathering and strategy. Hisao, since you are so concerned for this one's time, you may assist Kento in sorting through the reports for value after you have completed training each day. Kento-"

"These reports?" Sesshomaru was at the miko's side the moment she spoke. He had not noticed her approach. She moved with a silence that was abnormal for the clumsy female. He had left the screen to the anteroom partially open, to better hear if she should become distressed, and she was poised in the opening, a sheaf of loose papers in her hand. His gaze raked over her. She was dressed only in her silk robe, but mokomoko protected her from the cold and indecency. Her only exposed flesh was her hands, face and a sliver of neck and collarbone where her clothing had shifted while she slept. WIth a twitch of youki, his fur slid tighter around her, concealing even that pale skin.

"It is far too cold here for humans," he said in a low voice.

"I feel much better," she answered brightly, still staring at the reports.

"You should be resting." He pressed more authority into his voice, and even used a bit of his power to try to nudge her back inside. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine, Sesshomaru. Why are you all fired up about this stuff anyway? It is just a bunch of trade accounts, surely they aren't that urgent?" Sesshomaru paused, leaning back to consider her. He knew she could read, he had seen her do so on many occasions. While some of the kanji were unfamiliar to him and the phrases strange, he could read the bound scrolls she brought from her time. If they were any indication, her education was quite extensive.

"She can read?" Hisao sounded dumbfounded. Considering the norms for education in general, and women in particular - especially among humans - Sesshomaru decided it to be an appropriate response.

"Of course Kagome-sama can read," Kento responded as though it should have been obvious. It was more likely his cousin told him.

"Then she can cull through this lot!" Hisao's excitement was tempered only slightly by Sesshomaru's glare.

"The miko needs to rest." He could feel her gearing up for a protest, but he was done discussing how to put her to work when she was standing barefoot in the cold air. He pulled her tightly against his chest and moved into her sleeping chamber, snapping up a youki barrier, closing the screen, and settling on the futon. He had her secure in his lap before she could open her mouth.

ooo

"I've rested-" Kagome was abruptly aware that she had been relocated back to her futon, and Sesshomaru surrounded her. "-enough," she finished lamely. One clawed hand wrapped around her waist, the other tangled in her already sad braid, freeing her hair and tickling her scalp. "Sesshomaru," her breath hitched when his nose dipped into the shell of her ear, "what are you doing?"

"Examining," came the low reply. His nose was surprisingly cool in comparison to the heat of his body, and Kagome was struck with the image of a large dog, snuffling at her hair.

"Examining?" Her voice was faint, but she was having trouble focusing on what they had been discussing before. His head dipped and his breath ghosted along her jawline.

"It means-"

"I know what it means, Sesshomaru." She rolled her eyes and felt mild irritation flaring. Prior to coming to the West and spending so much time with the daiyoukai, she would not have thought it possible for one person to be so infuriating and intriguing at the same time.

"Temper," he said flatly, pulling away to look in her eyes. Her confusion must have shown, because he elaborated, "You are getting angry with me. You will not summon your reiki." Phantom pain at the memory of her last attempt to use her power made Kagome wince. It had hurt more than when Urusae had taken her soul to resurrect Kikyou. She shuddered.

"Right, thanks. Although, it would be easier not to get angry if you weren't so- so-"

"Considerate?"

"Annoying," she said flatly. Something changed in his face and body. He was still holding her, still cupping the back of her head with his hand and looking into her eyes, but his face was wrong. Cooler, more emotionless. How she could tell between his varying levels of cool, cold and frigid, she wasn't sure, but it was evident in the stiffness of his posture and the way his eyes shuttered. She had hurt his feelings. _Is that even possible? Don't give yourself so much credit, Higurashi_, she chided. Still, she hadn't meant to hurt him. "Considerate too." She cupped the side of his face and smiled, trying to show him she wasn't really upset. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. I don't know what you did to make me feel better, but thank you."

"Hn." He relaxed, fractionally, and Kagome was relieved to see his mask melt a few degrees. "My youki is sheltering your power while it regenerates." Kagome closed her eyes and sank into herself for a few moments. She didn't even notice it until she looked, but his youki was indeed inside her. The amount of power he had filled her with was astonishing - not only that he had so much to spare for her, but also that she hadn't realized it was there or unconsciously rejected it. It felt...nice. Warm. As though she had been wrapped in her favorite blanket, been given a cup of hot tea...and then surrounded by armed bodyguards. It was nice, and also supremely weird. She mentally shrugged. Nothing hurt anymore, she felt full of energy, and Sesshomaru had apparently decided not to retaliate for her attempt to zap him with a shock of purification. The whole day had a positive sheen to it.

"Sooo," she began, and then faltered when he leaned in to her neck again, this time tracing the edge of her collar. "I, ah- about those papers…"

"Do not concern yourself." His lips brushed against the hollow of her throat and she completely forgot what she had been saying. It tickled. And also felt really, really nice. "Kento and Hisao will manage. You must rest." His nose brushed up the opposite side of her neck and her pulse quivered. _Sesshomaru! This is the cold, unfeeling daiyoukai! This is Inuyasha's brother, the killing machine, gorgeous, great kisser -_ Kagome shook herself, and embarrassment flooded her. She was sitting in his lap, and he was...nuzzling her. She wondered briefly if the damage to her reiki had also affected her brain. There was a low, rumbling vibration that thrummed against her wherever they touched.

"Are you...laughing?" She pulled back, although he didn't let her go too far. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were warm and...amused. Daiyoukai were confusing.

"I do not know if it is your species, or something unique to you, but your emotions are...exceptionally transmutable. It is intriguing."

"Transmut-" she cut herself off, knowing he was about to explain, "No, I got it. I just can't decide if that was a compliment or not." She was conscious of his palm against her waist, under the mokomoko. His thighs were warm and hard through the thin robe where she was sitting on him. It was intimate, and unsettling, and just _weird_. It was also, oddly right. She knew her cheeks were still pink, but she did her best to act as though it was not at all strange to have a calm discussion with Sesshomaru while she was on his lap. In her pajamas. "So, the thing with the papers. No, hear me out," she raised a hand to silence him. He frowned, almost imperceptibly, then gave a brief nod. "I really do feel one hundred percent better, and I don't think I could go back to sleep right now if I tried. However, I understand, given my recent, er, relapses, that you might think I should take it easy. Let me help you with your paperwork. I can read and sort just as well as Hisao, and it isn't exactly strenuous." She could see he was ready to refuse her, so she threw everything she had into her argument. "And I'll be right next to you the whole time. If you think I'm getting tired or whatever, I'll come straight back here and lie down. Please?" She did her best to make her eyes huge and let her lip hang a little. It almost always worked on Inuyasha.

"Hn." _Brothers, more alike than they'd ever admit._ She grinned and impulsively kissed his cheek. Kagome pulled away again almost immediately, wondering if she had overstepped. If the contact had bothered him, he didn't show it. He slowly stood, setting her on her feet, which put her at the distinct disadvantage of having to tip her head far back to look at him. "You will dress first." He nodded to a stack of freshly laundered clothing. "And eat." He narrowed his eyes and specified, "You will eat until I feel you have had enough."

"Okay," she agreed without complaint. She was starving; he couldn't possibly force her to eat more than she would have on her own. Kagome turned and stepped away, only to find herself pulled flush against him, back to front. She sucked in a breath and did her best to contain a riot of emotion as his claws slipped between the mokomoko and her robe. Directly under her breast. His thumb slowly brushed against the swell of flesh, then it was gone, and with it the fur that had draped around her shoulders. He stepped away from her, taking his tails with him, and she looked back to see it secured in its usual spot on him.

"Dress warmly, Miko." He disappeared through the shoji screen, but his barrier remained. She was grateful for the layer of privacy as she pressed one hand against her rapidly beating heart.

"Is it warm in here?" she whispered, dazed.

ooo

Almost five hours later, and Kagome was filled with a tired sense of accomplishment. Her back ached a little from sitting and reading for so long. She had quickly given up a ladylike position and instead sat or lay in the most comfortable way she could find while staying modest in her new blue kimono. Kento and Hisao raised their brows at her, but no one said anything as she breezed through stacks of paperwork. It had taken her an hour or so to get used to the script and archaic kanji, but once she was settled in, the reading was interesting. Even the trade reports, so lamented by Hisao, easily held her attention. Everything from silver and salt to silk and ink were tracked and traded in the Western Lands. She even found some brief descriptions of harvests in human areas, which she decided she would take up with Sesshomaru at a later date. She had already muddled in his affairs as thoroughly as possible. At some point, she figured, she couldn't mess up the timeline any more than she already had.

She made piles for economic news, social/political requests, castle business, disease, and military affairs. Kagome sorted each by urgency, and then kept a few scrolls and papers set aside that needed Sesshomaru's immediate attention, or that she had trouble categorizing. She had also come across a paper that was written in some sort of code, which she had great fun deciphering. She saved it for the end of the afternoon, while she waited for Kento to look through her left-over papers and Hisao and Sesshomaru finished up a debate. It was a Uesugi cipher with a waka poem - something she had learned about in middle school and the girls used to pass notes in class. Kagome couldn't help a little whoop of triumph when she completed it. All other conversation stopped and three pairs of demon eyes stared at her.

"Sorry," she said without really meaning it. She was too pleased with herself to be embarrassed. "I didn't think I'd remember how to do these." She smiled and passed her working paper to Kento, along with the original message. He frowned at the pencil scratches, then read over her work twice. His face twitched and he passed the work to Sesshomaru. When the daiyoukai stared at her after reading it, Kagome felt the first inklings of trepidation. "I, ah, maybe I shouldn't have…" He passed the papers to Hisao, who took about two minutes to explode.

"You broke our code!"

Kagome flinched, grateful that a youki barrier had been put in place to keep the conversations secret. "I didn't mean to? I mean, humans used it a lot, in the fut-" she glanced at Sesshomaru and smiled weakly. "Where I am from, this is a pretty simple thing. Kids use it to learn about cryptography. I'm sure it's a really good code?" Hisao stared at her, clearly fuming but unable to form words. Kento looked aghast. Her eyes locked on Sesshomaru, pleading with him to understand. A tiny, tiny smile flickered at the corner of his mouth, and she breathed easier.

"Hisao, this one thinks you should work with Kento to develop a new method for sending messages. If human schoolchildren can read your battle plans, they are not very secure." Hisao sputtered, and Kento sighed. "The miko must eat. You may return to this one in an hour and we shall begin with the reports."

"It shouldn't take too long," Kento said with his own smile. "Kagome-sama has only these that need your immediate attention." He placed a thin sheaf on Sesshomaru's table. "The others I can deal with or can wait for you. She has also made a few notations that may be of interest, my Lord." Kagome blushed under the scrutiny and fiddled with her obi. If she had known she would draw so much attention, she might have tried harder to make the formal garment look better. Not that it would have done much good. She was terrible with the folds and knots required to wear a real kimono.

"Hn." Hisao bowed stiffly to both Sesshomaru and herself, still muttering about the work ahead of him as he left the room. Kento bowed as well, and then kneeled before Kagome, his fists on his thighs.

"I must thank you, Kagome-sama, but I am unable to find words to express myself. Aki," he took a deep breath and smiled, "my _mate_ and I are grateful. We are in your debt. If there is anything that we may do for you, please call on us. Only our loyalty to Sesshomaru-sama comes before you." Kagome didn't know what to say. Sesshomaru filled in the silence.

"Your debt to the miko is first, Kento. Your obligations to this one may be set aside if the miko is in need." Kagome blinked, and Kento became gravely serious.

"Your high favor is most well-placed, my Lord." Kento bowed again and backed out of the door. Kagome stared at Sesshomaru, who had already stood and cleared her little table so that they could eat.

"What just happened?"

"In this moment, nothing of consequence." He nodded to the doors and dropped his barrier. "Eat, miko." She frowned at him, ready to question him, but the smell of approaching dinner made her stomach growl loudly. She blushed and frowned harder.

"We aren't done with this," she warned.

"Hn."

They ate in near silence. Kagome found she had enough trouble not looking like a half-starved street urchin and still filling the bottomless pit that had replaced her stomach - without adding talking into the mix. It did not seem to bother Sesshomaru. _Of course not, idiot, he's probably grateful for a moment's peace._ He did, however, look over her empty bowls with approval. He finished his work just as the children returned, tired and a little crabby after a long day with only Jaken and the servants for company. Well, Shippo was crabby. Rin was resigned. Kagome suggested a bath before bedtime, and Sesshomaru escorted them to the springs. For a moment, she had been torn between fear and anticipation that he would join her again, but he disappeared to the far side of the boulders with Shippo. The girls washed quickly, and Kagome had time to fix Rin's hair before Sesshomaru and Shippo reappeared. She was growing a bit anxious, considering how quiet things on the boy's side had been. Inuyasha and the kit were usually all splashes and loud arguments. Shippo looked content and sleepy, however; he was a matched set for Rin. Kagome picked up the kitsune with a soft grunt. He was growing too big to cuddle in her arms, and she had to perch him on her hip instead. He immediately laid his head on her shoulder and yawned. She turned to find that Sesshomaru had picked up Rin as well, who cuddled into his mokomoko and was struggling to stay awake. They moved quickly back to the rooms. Kagome was pleased to have only tripped twice on the way.

They settled the children into bed. Kagome gave them each a kiss and a hug. Then Sesshomaru leaned down to pat each head with affection. Something gooey and warm bubbled up in her chest at the sight. The proud, tall daiyoukai bending to smooth hair from brows and straighten bedding. She returned to her room and was just untying her outer kimono when the screen clicked softly shut. Anticipation fluttered in her belly and she sternly admonished her feelings to settle down. His rooms were a construction zone. He had nowhere else to sleep. _Except an entire castle._ He was worried about her, afraid she would collapse again. _Yeah, okay, this is just a check-up, he'll probably leave when he's done._ She turned from her inner pep talk and found that Sesshomaru had changed into a short sleeping robe and seated himself on her futon. She had to drag her eyes away from the pale, muscular legs on display.

"So, ah, did you want to check on my reiki?" He tilted his head slightly, so she took that as agreement. She knelt carefully beside him, keeping a few key inches between her knees and his thigh, and turned her thoughts inward. His youki was so thickly bound around her, she almost couldn't see her own power. She reached out gently, and the green vines shifted and bent to reveal a healthy pink glow at the center. It was getting better, slowly, but her power was still dimmer and much smaller than she was used to. "I think it looks pretty good. So you can-" she opened her eyes and swallowed, hard. His face was close to hers, his warm breath puffing against her mouth. "Ah, you can, ah, go now."

"I will stay close."

"RIght, yeah, of course. Your youki. Thank you for that." She tugged on a blanket and scooted backward. "I'll just...over there-" she gasped when his arm latched around her, pulling her forward and down until they both lay on the futon. Her face rested on his chest, and blankets were pulled up over her shoulders. "Uh…"

ooo

Sesshomaru felt the urge to sigh. He could have laughed at her misplaced anxiety and modesty. He wanted to roll her over and turn back the folds of her garments so that he could learn every inch of her scent. He did none of those things. He had a strategy. She needed reassurance. She needed to feel comfortable with him. The miko would grow accustomed to his presence, then long for it. He would explain the benefits she would receive from mating him. When he was sufficiently assured of her agreement, he would ask for her acceptance. Then he could trace the dip of her waist with his nose. The crease of her hip.

"What you did for Kento and Aki was ill-timed, but appreciated."

"Kento's thanks were too much. Really it was-"

"_I_ am appreciative," he clarified. She shifted slightly, her cold toes brushing against his legs. That would not do. He trapped her feet between his calves, warming her. Her scent raced. Embarrassment. Anxiety. Arousal. Irritation. Contentment.

"Er, you're welcome? I've never done anything like that before, but it was interesting. I mean, those kinds of reproductive issues are pretty rare, and they have to be even more so for demons, right? So what are the chances I would ever see that again?"

"Healing them was a good thing. Spider demons are intended to have numerous offspring, and Inu should have many pups." He wondered how long it would take the miko to conceive. He was unfamiliar with human physiology, but they seemed to reproduce at a lightning fast pace. However, his father was with Izayoi for nearly two years before she ripened, so perhaps that was a more reasonable timeframe.

"Really?" She sounded intrigued, and...almost...disbelieving.

"A litter - pups that have not yet reached adolescence," he explained, "often has five or six pups at a time. An inu demoness may have multiple litters, and twins are not uncommon."

"So, your mom could have fifteen or twenty kids, er, pups?" Sesshomaru was both amused and horrified of the idea of InuKimi with a litter of pups, hanging on her skirts and learning from her how to properly stalk prey - in the forest and the political arena.

"I am her sole offspring."

"Is that, like, an age thing? Inu have a, a window of opportunity to have kids?"

"Females remain fertile for a thousand years or more after their maturity. Males," he dragged his claws down her ribs to the swell of her hip and squeezed. His voice grew lower, "are virile until death. Would you like to know when inu reach their peak?"

"Ah-" Cinnamon and turnips did a battle for dominance in her scent and Sesshomaru had to bite back a groan. This phase of the plan was for reassurance, not seduction. "Eh-hem. I mean, it doesn't seem like there are any litters around here. Does everyone keep their pups at home? Or are the villagers and your servants all pretty young?"

"They are of many ages." He realized that she wouldn't really know what that meant for a demon. "I am nearing eight hundred years of life." He rolled over her sharp intake of breath, "That is still young for a daiyoukai. There are many in the village and at the castle that are older than I. Many upper level youkai may live to be three or four thousand years old, if they are not killed in battle. A daiyoukai may live twice that time. Although, some have been recorded as far older."

"Holy crap," she whispered. "I mean, I ah. When do they reach maturity?"

"It varies by type of demon." His voice took on a husky note. "Inu come of an age to take a mate at two hundred and fifty years, although most do not do so immediately." He tipped his head to brush his lips across her hair and breathe in her scent. "It is said that males are most...pleasing...after they have seen their seven hundred and fiftieth year." He listed to Kagome's swallow and the beat of her heart and smiled.

"So where are they? The kids I mean? If you people - youkai - have so many pups, how come I haven't seen any? They must be adorable."

"You would view them as such." Sesshomaru paused and considered her observation. He had not spent a great deal of time among young of any species until he found Rin. He was aware that neither Kento nor Hisao had pups, but Kento had Aki and Hisao's mate had died only a century or so after they mated. In child birth. He tried to picture the packs and families in his villages, then he compared them to the human villages he had observed. There were very few demon children. He frowned. That was not right. Inu had large packs with many pups. He had been an only child, but that was easily explained by the relationship between the Inu no Tashio and Kimi. He did not have pups of his own yet, other than Rin, but he had every intention of remedying that lack. He considered those inu he knew personally, sorting through all who worked at the castle or lived in the village. There were none that had more than two pups. Over half, he recounted quickly, did not have any pups at all.

That was not right. Toga had thirty-six siblings, although most of Sesshomaru's paternal aunts and uncles had died in glorious battle or personal conquest before he was born. Kimi was younger than her mate, but she was one of twenty pups. Sesshomaru only knew of one that was still alive - his mother. He thought back to his history lessons from childhood. Stories of great inu with long lists of progeny he had to memorize. But the lists became shorter as the time of those demons grew closer to his own. Sesshomaru could feel a growing concern. He had no cousins, no second cousins. His closest living relative, outside of Kimi and Inuyasha, was Kento. Kento and Jun's grandsire was Kimi's great uncle. Sesshomaru sat up, disturbing Kagome and ignoring her small protest.

He calculated in his head. Then did it again. They were dying. The inu were dying out and he had not realized before. Certainly, his pack was small, but his sires had always walked a path of conquest - it often ended in bloodshed. It was not just his line, however. It was every line, every inu lineage that he knew had dwindled in numbers. If things continued as they had for the last three generations, in less than one thousand years, they would be gone. Stunned, he pulled what little he could easily remember about other youkai out for examination. He found similar situations. The bears, cranes, panthers, badger youkai, monkeys. Only the kitsune seemed to be pushing back the tide of extinction, and even they were decreasing.

"There are no youkai," he said flatly.

"What?" The miko sat up as well.

"In your time, in the future, there are no youkai."

"Yes, but that is why I wanted to come here, when you said the demons were getting sick. I think smallpox may have been responsible for them being wiped out. I'll know for certain when I go back home again, but-"

"No, it will not be the disease. It is us." Her small hand touched his shoulder, and he stared into space. His entire race was dying. "Do you understand? There aren't enough pups." He did his best to explain, to make her see the terrible knowledge that made a knot of cold anguish in his chest. He had not believed her about her medicine, and he nearly paid with his life. When she told him there were no demons in her time, he had brushed her off. He knew now, he could see the truth.

"So, let's find out why." He tilted down to look at her face, and found she had leaned her head on his shoulder and tucked her hand into his. "I decided, when I agreed to come to the West, that I was going to help you survive. I want you to survive. I want to go through the well, and know even in my time I might see Kento walking out of a bank, or Hisao drinking coffee." She squeezed his hand, "I want to know that my friend, Inuyasha, will still be grumbling about the stench of humans in five hundred years. I want to know that somewhere out there, Sesshomaru is still protecting the West. We'll figure it out, then we'll fix it. I am not going home unless I know that you will be coming to the future with me."

Her words were simple and full of assurance. He realized that part of her calm came from the time she had to consider the problem. She had known about the fate of demons for years. He, on the other hand...it was understandable that he was still reeling from the discovery. She was right, though. He straightened his spine and recovered the cool rationality that had abandoned him for a few moments. He had never met an enemy he could not defeat. He eased back down onto the futon, pulling her snug against his side. Her breath blew against the parted vee of his neckline. Her arm draped across his chest to place her palm over his heart. With the Miko no Mao, the future priestess, _Kagome_, at his side, not even time would stand in his way.


	15. Chapter 15

Despite the cold, Kagome took a deep breath of fresh air - and promptly coughed. Sesshomaru was flying high enough and fast enough that the wind froze the moisture in her nose and mouth. She tucked her face against his chest and sucked in the warmer air trapped between their bodies. She could practically feel his eyes on her.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. She had argued far too long and hard for the _privilege_ of going with him, she wasn't going to let him take her back because she was chilly. He didn't say anything, but his mokomoko draped around her. Even with the heavier weight pants and jacket Aki had made for her, she was grateful for the fur and told him so.

He had attempted to go without her. She woke that morning, the morning after their unsettling conversation on the future of demons, to discover him on all fours above her, his nose pressed into her neck. He was fully dressed, and the incongruity of the situation had her so off balance that she almost missed it when he told her he was leaving to inspect reports of attacks and she should remain in her rooms, under guard, while he was gone. For two days. Kagome's temper had gotten the better of her. She bruised her forehead on his chin and almost strangled herself with the bedding, but she managed to stand and demand that he take her with him. He had promised, in the springs, that she could go if she agreed to his conditions. He pointed out that the situation had changed - she was not well. Kagome took a deep breath, pushed her pride as far down as it would go, and agreed. She told him she was worried about how effective his youki bandage on her reiki would be if they were apart. He hadn't looked like he believed her, and left the rooms with a 'hn'. She was still struggling with her kimono so she could chase after him when a servant arrived carrying the new clothing. She also brought a message that Sesshomaru-sama would leave from the courtyard in fifteen minutes, with or without her. Kagome cursed him, but the servant helped her dress in record time and shove a few things into her bag. She arrived out of breath just as Rin was saying her goodbyes. She managed quick kisses and hugs, and laughed when Shippo told her to stay safe.

"Of course, I'm with Sesshomaru!"

Hours of flying and countless stops later, Kagome had lost her excitement. The first village had been bad. Entirely youkai, they had been grateful to see their Lord. They were wary of his human companion at first, but Sesshomaru introduced her to the local healer and word that Kagome-sama, Miko no Mao, had arrived spread like wildfire. He was never more than ten feet from her, but Kagome couldn't spare a thought for him. She was far too busy with the ill. Approximately half of the village had survived. Kento had made certain that inoculate and instructions for making more were spread to the villages as soon as it started showing results with the infirmary patients. The first village had also experienced the trailing edge of her power. They described a brief pink wind, and immediate improvement of those who were sick - although no outright curing. The healer, a demon that appeared younger than Kagome, took her to visit a few very young and old who had not recovered enough to come outside. She had to walk past the dead to get there.

They were all wrapped with care. Clean red and white shrouds that had been neatly folded and tucked around fathers, mothers, children. There were so many. Kagome bypassed the exposed graveyard and tended to the sick. She soothed brows and held hands. She smiled and kissed children and bowed deeply to elders. She praised the work of the healer - who had been third in line for the position before the pox had taken the others. Kagome made adjustments to treatment and left instructions and herbs. Then she returned outside.

Sesshomaru was waiting for her, ready to leave and go on to the next village. She looked back to the dead, and signaled him to give her a moment. Quietly, she stood at the end of the line of bodies. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes. She had seen death before. The feudal era was a dangerous and brutal place, but rarely was she exposed to such large scale destruction of life. The youkai wrapped in those shrouds could do nothing to fight the thing that was killing them, killing their families. They didn't even understand it. Kagome knew the same was true for the human villages, but for some reason the deaths of the demons hit her harder. Such powerful creatures, their long lives cut down to a fraction of what they could have been. Sesshomaru stopped behind her and she spoke in a low voice she knew only he would hear.

"Would it be offensive, or inappropriate, if I prayed for them?" He was quiet for a moment. A crowd had drawn together, most of those left alive, and they stared at the miko and their dead with hollow eyes.

"As you will," he finally responded. Kagome set down her bag and dug around for a few items. She requested a candle and incense, and the healer disappeared into a hut and then brought them forward. She lit both, and then closed her eyes, trying to remember a prayer for the deceased. When it was over, she instructed the healer to burn the bodies. Then Sesshomaru pulled her to his side and they rose on his cloud again.

Kagome shivered, not from cold, but from the image of the youkai left alive. They stood and stared, some crying, others empty from so much grief. She didn't remember what she said, only that the words sounded right. The six coins she left seemed insignificant in comparison to the number that lay ready for cremation. The next village was worse. Wholly human, it had been outside of the range of her reiki, and most of the people had already died. Others lay suffering, but there was no healer left among them to administer the inoculate or even ease their pain. Kagome moved among them while Sesshomaru appointed a new village leader and gave instructions for defense. Again she prayed over the dead, and then they left. On and on they flew, slowly criss-crossing the Western Lands and moving north. Sometimes they were surprised and there were more survivors. One village, the only mixed human-youkai village she had seen, was completely untouched.

As they moved further north, they began to hear reports of attacks. The stories were whispered with a fear borne of the unknown. The last village they stopped at, in the late afternoon, had become home to several refugees. The village itself had been decimated by disease, only eleven survived. Those who had lived through the attacks...Kagome shuddered again. She had not started or flinched at their wounds, but treated them as she would any patient. Inside, she wanted to scream. Lost eyes and limbs. Ragged scars. Kagome wondered what sort of weapons could cause such damage. The psychological injuries were the worst. Kagome knew what caused that. Watching family and friends beaten, raped, tortured - having the same treatment then inflicted on them - would kill a person's spirit just as easily as a sword could kill the body. Sesshomaru sent the youkai refugees back to the castle and ordered the villagers to pack what they could and move further south to a village that would have ample room for them - once they burned the dead.

A slight change in their flight brought Kagome out of her memories. The sun was low in the sky, and she searched the ground for the next village they would assess, but was unable to find anything. "Why are we stopping?" The daiyoukai did not answer right away, but landed in a sheltered clearing. The wind was completely blocked by the trees, and although snow was still falling, it had not drifted in the secluded area.

"We will stay the night here."

"Why not in one of the villages? Surely that would be saf- ah, warmer?" Kagome didn't want to offend him by implying that he would not be able to protect them, but it _was_ winter, and she had seen enough to know that there was something or someone very dangerous in the area. Sesshomaru studied her, his head tilting slightly.

"The smell is most...displeasing." She nodded, silently berating herself for not thinking of it. The stench of death was noticeable to her, she couldn't imagine how offensive Sesshomaru must find it. "You will accompany me while I hunt."

"Oh, that's not necessary," she responded quickly. As much as she enjoyed roasted rabbit, she could barely clean them herself without completely losing her appetite, and watching Inuyasha kill them was worse. "I'll stay here and build a fire."

"Miko," his voice was a reprimand, and Kagome was startled. "You will accompany me."

"Really, Sesshomaru, I'll be fine. I have my bow and arrows, and you'll be able to hear me if-"

"This enemy will not give you time to scream." His flat statement crushed all of her protests. She nodded, trying not to think about how quickly a youkai attack in the night could be. She left her bag and followed him, trying to stay as quiet as possible. If the number of dirty looks he gave her were any indication, she wasn't successful. When he came to a standstill she stopped behind him, shivering in the cooler air where the sunshine did not penetrate. The mokomoko wrapped around her, and they waited in silence until a stag walked within three feet of the daiyoukai. It was over in an instant, without a drop of blood on Sesshomaru's white silk. Kagome blinked. A single puncture wound oozed sluggishly on the back of the deer's neck. _He severed the brain stem. _ Sesshomaru bent and efficiently gutted and skinned the animal, leaving the inedible parts for other animals to scavenge. The remainder he butchered and wrapped in the skin to carry back to camp. Kagome was surprised to find that she was not nauseated. Those years with Inuyasha, she had assumed it was the hunt and kill that bothered her. It was interesting to find out that it was the suffering, however short, that the game felt when the hanyou slit its throat that turned her stomach. She would have to tell him there was a more humane way to kill his food. _Humane. Demon-ane? Hanyou-ane? _

She gathered wood on their way back to the clearing and soon had a small fire going. Sesshomaru quickly spitted the meat - all of it - and settled down to watch it cook. Kagome busied herself with making tea and clearing snow at the bottom of a tree for her sleeping bag. They ate quickly. She was content, despite his insistence, with two generous helpings. He finished the remainder, as though eating an entire deer was nothing, with perfect manners and in an amazingly small amount of time.

"Where do you put it all?" She blurted, then blushed in embarrassment. He gathered up the skin and tossed it far from their camp.

"I am more than this body," he said simply. She looked him over, still not understanding how that equated to fitting one hundred pounds or so of meat inside his stomach. He banked the fire and sat down on her sleeping bag, his back against the tree. "My true form is my beast. This is a mask for the other." Kagome recalled the few times she had seen his huge dog form. She traced her fingers along the wrist and hand exposed as they lay on his knee. She understood the laws of physics, she just wasn't sure how or if they applied.

"It doesn't seem like an illusion, and you don't appear any more dense." A tiny smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

"This form is real, it is just not true. Although I inhabit it, I have the power and strength of my true self...and must sustain that form."

Her eyes widened, "So you always have to eat as much as a dog the size of a house would? When do you find the time?"

"I usually hunt in my other form every few days. And I do not take the time to cook my prey."

"Is it..." she glanced back at the fire, then at his face, "Do you prefer it that way?" He shrugged, almost imperceptibly.

"It is food." She took that to mean they both tasted good. It was strange, to think of Sesshomaru not as she usually saw him, but as the massive canine he became. The dog that he was. She had kissed him, held him and thought things that were...intimate things. He was a _dog_. A very large, very intelligent and deadly dog, but still. Unbidden, the image of her being licked by a tongue bigger than her flew into her mind. She wasn't sure she was ready for that. But then, if she wanted Sesshomaru, but she couldn't want his true self, could she really be with him? And why was she even worried about it? He had kissed her, touched her, sniffed her in a strangely erotic way, but it wasn't like he had asked her out - if that was even something youkai did. Kagome pushed back feelings of embarrassment and disappointment. She probably shouldn't think about it. Sesshomaru might not hate humans, as she once thought he did, but she very much doubted he would be interested in one, at least, not in a meaningful way. There were lots of demonesses that would probably fall all over themselves to 'be intimate' with the Western Lord. And they were a lot prettier, more exotic, and, she was sure, better bred - with courtly manners and the ability to walk in a kimono without tripping over their own feet.

She had intended to make herself less uncomfortable by getting rid of thoughts of his beast, but instead she made herself sad. It was stupid and immature, but without even realizing it she had begun to like Sesshomaru. She _liked_ him. He had kissed her and it made her knees weak. He gave Inuyasha reasons to respect himself, and that made her chest swell with pride. He cared for his daughter, and her kit, and her heart melted. He was intelligent, challenging, gorgeous, and absolutely dangerous. She wondered how on earth she had allowed herself to like him. She wondered how she could not.

"Stop that," he ordered sternly. Kagome shook herself out of her stupor and stared at him in confusion. She wasn't doing anything. "You are sad and...other things. Stop." His nose twitched, and Kagome remembered how Inuyasha could smell her tears even before they fell. He always said her anger burned his nose. Apparently, Sesshomaru could tell a lot more about how she was feeling from her scent than his half-brother could. Only he would order her to stop _feeling_, and assume she would be willing and able to obey. She responded the only way she could. She laughed.

"Oh, Sesshomaru! I can't just _decide_ how I am going to feel. It doesn't work like that. No matter how much you would like to command everything around you, you just can't." He narrowed his eyes and pulled her closer to him, careful to make sure her head rested against his unarmored shoulder. Her hips and legs were tucked between his, resting on the sleeping bag. The mokomoko covered them both and she sighed, relaxing into his heat. "I wish we could do more," she said after a few minutes. "These villages have suffered so much, I just wish…"

"You have done much, miko. More than any other. You have given my people hope. You have brought treatment for the disease. You saved me, so that I might protect my lands. Leave it to me to destroy the enemies of the West." His arms wrapped around her under the fur and secured her to him. She could hear the beat of his heart, and found the steady, slow cadence soothing. They were quiet again as darkness settled fully around them and the temperature dropped. Kagome was nearly asleep, her hands thrust into the mokomoko, when he spoke again, "I will not allow what is mine to be so grieved." She frowned in her sleep, thinking that was a strange turn of phrase, to call the West sad.

ooo

Sesshomaru knew the moment she stirred from sleep. Her breathing changed slightly; her heart beat a bit quicker. Her hands made fists in his fur, squeezing and kneading the flesh underneath. He blew out a long breath that formed a cloud of frost in the air. The steady snowfall had become sheets of fat flakes and stinging ice during the night that buried the little fire and the rest of the clearing in almost two feet of snow. It was still coming down. The temperature had continued to drop as well, and the wind rose. He had grown concerned for the miko's health. Despite his own heat and mokomoko, her face had felt chilled to his touch. He had taken drastic measures to keep her warm.

"Sesshomaru?" she called faintly. The daiyoukai looked down on her with one eye, unwilling to back away enough to get a better view of her, for fear the snow coating his back and head would fall onto her. She was completely buried in white fur. Her back was snug against his foreleg. He had wrapped his tails around himself to cover her like a blanket. Her eyes were wide and she smelled...good. Warm. Healthy. Happy and surprised. Sweet and...like him. She had carried his scent since he brought her to the castle, and it had deepened as he slept next to her at night. After hours completely surrounded by his true form, his scent layered her own in a way that strummed a deep chord of contentment in him. "When did you - of course you can't answer that. Two tails, just like Shippo. I bet you didn't have to play any tricks to get the second one." She shifted a bit, pushing up out of his fur to stand. A gust of wind made it around his body and she gasped. "It's freezing!" He raised his brows. _Obviously_. She stepped closer, leaning against his side and burrowing into the fur over his ribs. "Thank you, Sesshomaru." Her entire body molded to him and her hands patted and rubbed along his skin. He wondered if she had become so much more comfortable with him, she carried no trace of embarrassment, or if it was his form that eased her anxiety. _How strange that the miko would be more at ease when I am at my deadliest._ "I had almost forgotten how big you are," she mumbled into him. "You are absolutely magnificent!" He refused to allow his tails to wag.

He peered up at the sky, knowing it would be difficult to fly in such weather. The miko would be especially chilled on his cloud. He was not certain if even his mokomoko could provide enough heat for her. He could fly in his true form, but with the snow and the strange winds, it would be near impossible for him to safely make it back to the castle. The miko needed better shelter. As it was, she would quickly freeze without his body heat, but she would also need to eat soon and he could not hunt with her burrowed against him. Sesshomaru knew his lands well, and the next village he had intended to visit was close by. He could reach it, even in the storm. He glanced at the miko again. She would have to ride on his transformed back, his fur would keep her warm and he could move much faster on four legs through the snow. Flying would be a risk in such weather, with nothing to protect her back from the wind. Regaining his smaller appearance would waste energy that he should conserve, in case they met with the band that had been attacking from the north. He hoped she would understand.

He used his nose to press her bag closer to her. "What do you - oh." She lifted her face from his fur and glanced between him and the bag. "Do you want me to pack up?" He blinked, slowly. She smiled, "No problem, Sesshomaru. I'd rather not stay out in this weather, either. I suppose you already have the perfect place in mind to wait out the storm? I bet. You never do anything without a plan." She continued her cheerful chatter and the great dog would have smiled, if he were able. _Always finding the good in a situation._ It took her only a few minutes to roll up her sleeping bag and settle her bag on her shoulders. "All ready!" He stepped back, unable to prevent the shivers that shook her the moment she was exposed to the elements, and used his nose to push her behind the tree. Then he shook himself, releasing a blast of youki to dry his fur. A soft _wuff_ brought Kagome peeking out with wide eyes. He lowered himself to the ground, and she quickly realized what he wanted.

"I should get on?" Her voice and scent were excited, despite the visible tremors that were shaking her small frame. "This is so cool. I hope my shoes aren't hurting you. Can I grab onto your fur, I don't want to-" He let out a low growl, to let her know he was losing patience. If the foolish woman didn't climb up quickly, he would become covered in snow again. She seemed to understand the command, grabbing handfuls of his fur and scrambling up his side - although she did not stop talking. Most of it was easy for him to tolerate, as she was primarily complimenting his size, the thickness and texture of his fur, and his form in general. Within moments she was settled between his shoulders, her feet tucked over his spine and her knees angling towards his sides. Her face rested on the scruff of his neck, her hands buried in the long hair there. "Okay, I'm read-"

He did not wait for her to finish, but took off at a loping gait through the snow. When they cleared the trees, she let out a sound of displeasure and burrowed deeper against him. The cold was intense. It was immediately apparent that the miko could not stay outdoors for very long. She needed shelter. Immediately. He let out a sound of warning, and then started to run through the drifts. She gripped tightly with her arms and legs, but did not protest his motion. The storm was growing worse, and the miko was quiet. Her could feel her presence, although her weight was almost too light to be noticeable. Her heart rate was slow, her breathing even, and she smelled tired. Sesshomaru worried. The emotion went beyond concern as he considered how much more delicate she was than a youkai. He remembered how human deaths had always increased in the winter, when the cold weather sapped the strength of the old and ill. She was not as strong as she could be, and he had brought her with him.

It was selfish, he berated himself as he ran. He desired her company. He wanted her alone with him as he traveled. He wanted his people to see her, to respect her and to know that he respected her. He wanted to take her into the forest at night and lay next to her where no one else could hear or scent them, where he did not have to guard his expressions or words so closely. Where no one else had claim on her time. On her attentions. Her smile. It had been a mistake. He should have made her stay at the castle where she was safe. His youki could have remained with her, even from that distance. Or he could have sent someone else to check on the villages. He wanted both - to be master of his lands inspecting any harm that had come to his people personally, and to keep her at his side. The miko was so fragile, so human. The disturbing thought crossed his mind that he might not be able to fulfill all of his responsibilities, at least, not in the manner he wished.

Abruptly, the village came into sight. It was half-burned, and even through the storm and the lingering scent of charred wood and flesh he could smell blood. It was only a few hours old. Sesshomaru came to a stop and circled the perimeter. He could not hear anything moving, and there was only one, faint youki signature. It was dying. Sesshomaru got as close as he was able to with his broad shoulders and large feet, and then in a swirl of energy compressed himself to his smaller form. The miko shivered in his arms, already feeling the loss of his fur. Mokomoko covered her and he stepped into the hut. He could not locate the youkai at first, despite the unexpected neatness of the house. There were no no pox marked corpses or attack victims. His nose adjusted quickly, and he picked up a faint trail of blood from the doorway towards the raised platform at the back. The single room was dark; he knew the miko was unable to see anything. For the first time, he was grateful for her weaker senses. The wooden floor was deeply scored from a struggle. Bits of torn paper littered the room and the sharp smell of ink emanated from an overturned writing table.

A youkai, inu from her scent, lay on a messy futon. There was little blood on her, only traces at her mouth and hands, but she still smelled of injury and death and traces of many, many other youki. Sesshomaru's jaw tightened. The scent of those others had been disguised, but he knew how they had mortally wounded her without external blood loss. Rape was the instrument of lesser youkai not fit to walk his lands. Causing such extensive damage that the inu female could not heal would require not only the weapons provided by the males' bodies, but also other implements, used with vicious intent. When he found them, they would pay with their lives. And their pain. Her breath was shallow and uneven. Her eyes opened, narrow slits of red that proved how close she was to her beast. She had not transformed, not that her other state would be much more powerful as she was not daiyoukai, but he determined that she was drawing on its energy to stay alive. Her youki was expressed as well, but she had created her barrier poorly, as it deflected towards the ground rather than up and over her body. Her mouth fell open, and it exposed the raw stump of her tongue, severed with a poisoned weapon that did not allow regeneration. Sesshomaru's rage grew.

A low vibration, a whine and a growl intermingled, came from deep in the inu female's chest. A sound of warning and subservience. "Sesshomaru?" The miko whispered. He took her hand to lead her, keeping her pressed close to his back with mokomoko. The female spoke again, in the simple, primal language of their kind. It was all that was left to her by those that had taken everything else.

"_Young. Care for them?" _

"This one will make certain they are well." The miko gripped his sleeve when he spoke, but remained quiet and secure behind him.

"_Your female."_

"She will protect them as her own." The inu relaxed, the tension easing out of her body and the youki barrier shimmering, weakening. Her eyes closed, and a final rumble from her burned his ears.

"_Dragons."_

Kagome wasn't sure what was happening, she was itching to get light, but she trusted that Sesshomaru would keep her safe. If there was any real danger, he would have already taken her away, or killed whatever was in the hut with them. She breathed in the clove scent of him and pressed herself against his warmth, listening to the strange animal sounds. Sesshomaru must have understood them, as he answered.

"This one will make certain they are well." Kagome tightened her hold on him, wanting to ask who, but holding back. "She will protect them as her own." _Who?_ Her reiki sparked, just a little, and she sensed the youki of the other one withdrawing. There was something else as well. Her energy pushed a bit against Sesshomaru's youki, prodding aside the thick ropes of power he had bound around her. There was something else in the hut. Something...or someone.

There was another growl, and then Sesshomaru let out a roar that shook the walls and roof. His entire body was tensed, and she could feel his youki swirling and thrashing around them. The other, the thing that had been speaking, was gone. She smoothed her hand against his back and hugged the mokomoko to her. His anger and unadulterated rage was a tangible thing and Kagome worried for a moment that he would lose control. _This is Sesshomaru,_ she reminded herself. She pressed against his back and looped her arms around his waist, waiting for him to calm. It took only a moment.

"I will take care of the body. Stay here." He pulled away from her, drawing the mokomoko away as well. There was a faint rustling, and then he passed by her again. "Do not move." She rolled her eyes in the dark, if she moved she would probably trip over something. The door opened and closed, letting in a gust of wind and snow. She shivered, feeling his youki swirl outside and then move to the edge of the village. She wondered if there was any firewood inside. She should-

A small sound, something so tiny she almost missed it, interrupted her thoughts. She strained her ears, listening hard, and heard it again. It sounded like… Kagome dropped her bag to the floor and dug around until she found her lantern by touch. It flared to life in the hut, bathing the room in the cool light of modern LEDs. Her reiki stirred, urging her forward. A futon, stained with blood and other fluids was quickly pushed aside to reveal the platform that had been built for it. It was a strange design, perhaps thirty inches off of the floor. She swept aside the bedding and found a latch, placed in a depression in the wood. Her reiki was screaming at her while her heart thumped in fear and a strange certainty of what she _had_ to do. Kagome pulled on the latch.

Inside were three children. She blinked, and they stared up at her with wide, frightened eyes. The oldest appeared to be six or seven, and had his arms around the others protectively. His fangs poked out over his lip and feathers dripped onto his shoulders instead of hair. Kagome did not get a chance to look over the others, as a ball of blue cloth and black hair hurtled at her from behind the larger child. It was growling, small claws pricking at her chest and neck. "Shhh," she whispered softly. "It's okay, little one. " She tried to pat the narrow shoulders and was met with another growl. She wondered if the child was inu, and allowed herself to go limp. "Why don't you smell me? I'm a friend. I came with Lord Sesshomaru; we're here to help." A nose pressed into her skin, hesitant at first, then growing more insistent.

Russet feathers and large, dark eyes peeked over the edge of the hiding place, "Nankae?" The bird youkai stared at Kagome and her guard.

"She smells good. Like inu, but not." Kagome tried and failed to keep her heart from breaking at the distrust in the oldest child's eyes. A cool nose nudged her jaw and claws retracted. "She's good, Paho."

"Did you really come with the Saidai Mao?" Paho's whole face appeared above the edge, still uncertain.

"Yes," she smiled and slowly sat up, reaching her arms around the demon on top of her and pulling him to her lap. "Sesshomaru-sama is my friend. Would you like to come with us?"

"I -" He looked down into the hiding place and his face hardened. "I have to stay with them."

"It's okay, I need lots of friends. Everyone can come." Kagome held her breath while the child weighed her offer, and let out a sigh of relief when he stood and climbed over the edge with a murmur of assent. Her vision was blocked by slitted silver eyes and a wriggling nose.

"Are we gonna be part of your pack?" _Inuyoukai, how adorable. How small. How alone. How heart wrenching. _

"She doesn't have a pack, she's human," the bird said condescendingly. The inu boy stuck out his bottom lip.

"I belong to a pack," she corrected. Kagome turned the boy in her lap to sit on her hip and crept up to the hiding place. Inside was another, smaller child. A girl, Kagome guessed by the doll tucked under her arm, sat in the corner. Dark blue eyes stared out of a pale face. She didn't look more than three. "It's okay, sweetheart. Do you want to get out of there?"

"Emi doesn't talk anymore. She's scared," the boy in her arms stated simply. The older boy, Paho, pulled her out and sat down next to Kagome. He looked exhausted, and worried. She wondered how long they had been hiding.

"You promise you're going to help us? You won't hurt us?" His frank words were too serious for someone his age, but Kagome had seen enough of the villages that had been attacked to know that he had probably lost most of his innocence in recent days. She mimicked his solemn tone and put her free hand over her heart.

"I promise, I will do everything I can to help you, and I won't let anything hurt you again." The demon nodded, and let his head lean back against the wood. The girl was leaning towards her, sniffing, and Kagome smiled gently.

"Sensei said someone would come," he continued. "She said that if we were very good, and very quiet, someone from the West would come and take us away. She said the Saidai Mao would punish the bad ones who came." Kagome considered the stained bedding crumpled on the floor and the growled conversation Sesshomaru had with whomever had been guarding the children. Their sensei, their teacher, had probably given her life to protect the three demons. Kagome vowed that she would not let them come to harm. The little girl stretched out her arms, and Kagome reached for her without thinking. She held the inu boy on one hip and snuggled the toddler against her neck on the other side. The bird youkai leaned against her arm, just as the door reopened. The children tensed, and Sesshomaru shut out the snow, staring at them with unblinking eyes.

"Your sensei was right, Paho," she said with conviction. She rubbed the backs of the two she held and gave the daiyoukai a determined smile. "I am from the West and I will take you away with me. Sesshomaru will find the bad ones, and they will get exactly what they deserve."


	16. Chapter 16

Sesshomaru watched the miko and her new charges closely while he listened to the storm. She had not followed his orders. Again. He told her not to move, and instead she threw herself into the middle of three frightened, territorial youkai children. Any of them could have seriously injured her out of instinct. He felt the strange, twisting sensation in his chest, the same thing he had felt when he saw her collapse in the courtyard. She could have been hurt.

He pressed down on that emotion, doing his utmost to stifle it. The miko was in good health. The young ones had accepted her far easier than they should have. The bird youkai, a species not known for physical contact with others, sat close to her, pressing his knee against her leg. Her lap was occupied with the two inu children. Sesshomaru realized as he watched them that it had been a very long time since he had seen pups that age. It was another indication that their fears for the extinction of youkai were reasonable. The pups took to her immediately. The male, Sesshomaru guessed he would be about seventy, sat facing her, eating the last of the food she had brought in her bag and speaking incessentantly. Curled against her chest was the female. Less than forty years old, the pup had pressed her nose into the miko's skin and fallen asleep with one fist in her mouth and the other tangled in the human woman's long tail of hair. That sight assured him that he had made the correct decision to claim the miko as his own. Nothing had ever looked and smelled so right to him as Kagome holding the pups.

He needed to get them back to the castle. When he buried the young ones' sensei, he had found other youkai bodies, some had obviously died from a combination of wounds and exposure. The dragons that had attacked the village may have been driven off by the weather, but they would return to ensure that there was no one left alive. The miko and the pups needed to be safe at the castle before the enemy arrived. _Dragons._ He could feel a snarl welling up at the thought. Intelligence reports had led him to that conclusion already, but to have it proven and to see the turpitude that the North had sunk to was appalling. Enraging. He wanted to kill something.

The wind was dying down, and Sesshomaru locked away all his desires for blood to attend to his first priority. There was no other way to transport everyone. He would have to carry them. He opened the only storage chest in the hut and removed a thick blanket. "Miko," he caught her attention. "Keep the pups warm and secure."

"What about me?" The bird youkai looked defiant, but he smelled frightened and sad. Sesshomaru raised a brow.

"You will not need assistance holding on to this one. Unless you are afraid to fly?" The demon's eyes widened and a small smile broke across his face. _Hn, it is a start._ "We leave now."

ooo

Shippo sat on the steps and frowned at the snow in the courtyard. He was worried about Kagome. She had been gone longer when she went through the well for school, but never had they been apart for so long when she was in his time. His missed her. He even kind of missed Sesshomaru. Shippo sighed. Rin's scent bounced towards him and he did his best not to look sad. It was his job to take care of his little sister while Kagome and Sesshomaru were away. They had both said so. Although Kagome had also said he should keep Rin happy, and Sesshomaru had told him to maintain the honor of the West. He guessed they both meant the same thing...basically.

"Shippo-kun! How was training?" Rin sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Shippo thought it wasn't fair that his little sister got to be so much bigger than him.

"Fine," he answered. It sounded sullen, so he tried to inflect some cheer into his voice, "There isn't as much to do without Inuyasha here. Watching him fight with Hisao was fun. I thought I knew all of the bad words, but Hisao knows even more than Inubaka!"

"You shouldn't call him that, Shippo-kun," Rin chided, but she laughed too. "Hisao-san has a terrible temper. He is lucky to have found someone who can stand up to it. Sesshomaru-sama always beats him, of course, but he doesn't have much time to play with Hisao-san."

"I don't think Sesshomaru would like to hear you call it 'playing', Rin," Shippo noted dryly.

She shrugged, "But it's the only fun he gets. Of course, now that Kagome-sama is here, maybe he will find more time to-" Rin paused, "What is happening?" Shippo turned his senses outward. The courtyard and training grounds had fallen silent. Most of the youkai soldiers were ready to attack, their hand on their weapons. He reached out with his youki, and gasped. Something very big and very dangerous was headed their way. Shippo jumped up and tugged on Rin's hand, determined to follow his orders.

"Come on! We have to-" A shout rang out among the soldiers, and then a moment later Shippo recognized what they had sensed. The demon coming to the castle was Sesshomaru, and he was moving quickly. "They're back!" Rin stood too, clapping her hands in excitement. He was difficult to see at first, but then the kit pointed out the silvery white of the daiyoukai against the grey storm clouds to Rin. His own eyes grew bigger and bigger as Sesshomaru approached. He had never seen the Western Lord in his true form, and he was gigantic. Shippo swallowed, wondering how his human mother had ever found the courage to become allies and then friends after she had been attacked by _that_. He landed in the courtyard on all fours, sending up puffs of snow, but instead of immediately transforming, he lowered his belly to the ground.

Hisao approached from the training grounds, "My Lord? What do-"

"A little help, please, Hisao-san," Kagome's voice called down from somewhere above the mounds of white fur. The captain looked to Sesshomaru for permission, and received a slow blink in response. With a single jump, Hisao landed on the great dog's back, sending a cascade of snow and ice crashing to the courtyard. He returned to the ground holding a kid about Rin's size, who was wrapped in a blanket and also covered in snow. A servant was summoned and took the white crusted bundle, and Hisao vaulted up again. This time he returned with a smaller, significantly less snowy bundle. There was a whirlwind of youki, and Sesshomaru transformed. Shippo had to shield his eyes from the blowing snow, but when it was over he was relieved to see the daiyoukai, holding Kagome.

"Kagome-mama!" He yelled happily, as Rin called out, "Sesshomaru-sama, Kagome-sama!" They raced to meet Sesshomaru as he strode towards the castle. Hisao and his bundle followed behind.

The Lord was speaking to his captain in low tones, "...speak immediately. Fetch a female to care for the bird, he will want his own kind."

"Sesshomaru!" came an indignant huff from his arms. Shippo stared at Kagome. She was wrapped in an ice covered blanket, and everything the blanket had not covered was crusted with snow. Her hair, her eyebrows and eyelashes. Her face was pale and her lips a strange purple color.

"You will see him later, Miko. Hush." As if there were not twenty or more demons watching, he bent his head and brushed his nose along her hair, still walking as though it were nothing unusual. "Hisao," his voice came out as toneless and cool again, "break a platoon into fireteams and…" Shippo stood and stared in shock after them as they entered the castle.

"Did Shippo-kun see what Sesshomaru-sama did?" Rin's voice was awed and excited.

Shippo nodded and replied, stunned, "Did you smell what Kagome was holding?"

ooo

_He's fine, stop worrying,_ Kagome admonished herself. Sesshomaru had explained, after she finally tugged on his mokomoko for attention, that bird youkai only allowed themselves to be groomed or fed by their own kind. Paho had been taken to one who resided at the castle, but she would be able to see him after he was settled. Nankae had latched on to Hisao with a death grip and asked a million questions about the Western army. When he realized they would be bathing, he demanded to stay with the captain. Sesshomaru had sent out a low tone that made the boy duck his chin and his lip stick out. Hisao listened to a rapid-fire string of orders from his lord, then deposited the pup on Kagome's lap and disappeared.

They waited at the entrance to the private springs until a servant arrived with clean clothes and supplies. Sesshomaru whisked her off her feet and straight to the hot water. He took Nankae from her and set him on his own feet with a stern directive to strip and wait in the shallow end. With stiff fingers, she tried to unwrap the frozen blanket, but she couldn't seem to get her numb limbs to work. Sesshomaru made a sound of irritation and brushed her hands away. "I've got it, really I-" He glared at her, and so she bit her tongue and stood patiently while he unwrapped the blanket. The unconcealed look of surprise on his face was worth all of the tiny claw pricks she had received on the way back to the castle. Nankae had snuggled up easily to her during the journey, clinging to her and Sesshomaru's fur on his own, but Emi was too little to secure herself. Kagome had worried that she would fall, or not stay warm enough, so she had unwrapped her gi and folded the little pup against her skin. She was still asleep, Kagome was sure, and the lump under her clothes made her belly look enormous. Kagome giggled. Her chattering teeth made the sound stutter, "Th- this is why you-u-u shouldn't f-feed me so much, I'll g-get fat!"

Sesshomaru had a strange look in his eyes when he approached again, and Kagome was speechless when he slowly loosened the knot of her obi. The shirt fell open, revealing her modern bra and the black-haired pup curled against her skin. She grabbed Emi with both hands, too stunned and preoccupied with the child to cover herself. Golden eyes raked over her exposed flesh, and Kagome trembled for reasons that had nothing to do with temperature. His hands moved to the ties of her pants, and Kagome was suddenly aware of how dry her lips were.

"Hey, 'Gome! This place is neat! Do you swim here all the time?" Nankae's guiless interruption had her jumping back with a guilty flush. Sesshomaru's claws snagged the ties, slicing through one so that she had to grab the waistband to keep from becoming even more exposed. She glanced to the boy, anything to keep her eyes off of the daiyoukai, and found him edging into deeper water. She had no idea if he could even swim.

"Nankae-kun, stay still until I get in," she said sharply. His head tilted and his eyes took on a wounded cast. She softened her voice, "Emi and I don't want you to have all the fun without us." He smiled and made a huge waving motion that comically splashed his own face.

"Then hurry up! It feels really good and warm, 'Gome."

"You will obey the miko, pup." Sesshomaru deep voice drew her eyes unwillingly, and Kagome's mouth fell open. He strode into the pool without another glance at her, completely naked. She hadn't noticed him undressing. Smooth, pale skin. Hard muscle. Long, silky hair. "Do you need further assistance?" Her eyes snapped to his face and she had no chance of fighting the blush that raged on her cheeks. There were tiny wrinkles near his eyes, and the golden color looked suspiciously warm. _He's teasing me._ She shook away that ridiculous thought, which he apparently took as a request, for he began to rise out of the water. Past his chest...his waist... magenta markings…

"No," she practically shouted. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned to adjust Emi without looking at his...his everything. The pup woke and squirmed in her embrace to stare at her with big, unnaturally blue eyes. Another shiver wracked her body and she tried to force herself to get over the discomfort. After all, she had bathed with him before, sort of. It wasn't like mokomoko was going to molest her in the water again. She eyed the fluff, lying innate where he had piled it. Even if the daiyoukai was interested in her, at least physically, there were children present. He was far too proper to do anything in front of them. She assured herself it would no doubt be a quick bath in any case; Sesshomaru probably had an enormous amount of work to do. That thought made her wonder why he had stayed with them instead of sending the rock demons to guard the springs. "We'll be fine here, Sesshomaru. I'm sure you have more important things to do."

"But you said you had a pack, 'Gome." Nankae's sad, confused voice came from behind her. "My father said protection and comfort for the pack was the most important job of the alpha. Unless...is Sesshomaru-sama not your pack?" There was silence behind her and Kagome struggled with the remaining knot in her pants even as she tried to think of a response that would reassure the child and not mortally offend the Western Lord.

"This one is a strong alpha." Sesshomaru's voice rang out behind her and Kagome stilled. _Is he saying I am…_ "There are repercussions to pack that do not obey...and remain shivering out of modesty." Kagome rolled her eyes, finding irritation her only defense against a pleased sort of blush. She stepped out of her footwear and took a deep breath. It was just like going swimming. No more revealing than some of the bikinis her friends in the future wore. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she had never been brave enough to wear one without a cover up.

"Yeah. 'Gome isn't inu, maybe she doesn't know. You should tell her she needs to obey," the simple directive made Kagome snort, and she turned and stepped into the spring in her bra and panties, still holding the clingy Emi. Agonizing needles of heat raked across her skin where she touched the water. Kagome bit back a cry of pain as she acclimated to the change in temperature. She refused to meet the golden eyes that stared at her as she sank into the water, not able to take a deep breath until she was in up to her armpits. Kento had once told her that inu often bathed and groomed together within their close family packs. It seemed so long ago that he had given her a first lesson on demons and dogs. Really, it had been a week since Sesshomaru had taken ill and Kento had lectured her:

"_An alpha leads his pack, usually with his female. The more powerful the inu, the greater the size of his pack. The innermost circle is his female and pups. The next, larger pack contains his siblings, their packs, possibly parents. Next are more distant relatives, and very close allies. It goes on, further for each inuyoukai depending on his power and rank. Sesshomaru-sama has the entire Western Lands under his control. Alpha to us all."_

Kagome sighed. Alpha, indeed. She might be 'of the West' for a time, but she doubted that Sesshomaru considered her a permanent member of his domain. She did her best to brush aside the pull of sadness as she considered that if, when, the daiyoukai took a mate, the demoness would take a spot in that closest pack with their pups. She got to play in his personal space for the time being, but it was not permanent. He would never wish it to be so. _I wouldn't either. How annoying it would be to be constantly expected to defer to someone else, someone so much stronger and more knowledgeable about many things. To be protected and cared for and…_ Kagome shook herself. Listing Sesshomaru's desirable qualities was not helping her mood. His eyes were still on her as she took up soap and began gently scrubbing Emi. Nankae was standing on an underwater ledge near the daiyoukai, eying the deeper water. Having raised a sneaky kitsune for four years, Kagome could see the boy's mind turning. She wasn't a match for his demon quickness, however, and didn't have time to utter a warning before he leapt off the ledge. Sesshomaru snagged him out of thin air by the boy's waist and returned him to the ledge with a stern glance. Kagome cuddled a soapy Emi and felt her chest constrict. A year ago, if someone had told her she would feel all melty and wistful watching Sesshomaru act the role of a parent - if someone had told her that Sesshomaru would take up the role of a parent - she would have backed away slowly and tried not to startle the crazy person. She thought of the demoness that would be at his side in the future and felt an unreasonable stab of jealousy.

"Miko." His low, warm voice brought her back to the present and she frowned to cover up the inappropriate turn of her thoughts. "Hand the female to this one. The other pup needs your attention." Relieved to have a task to keep her occupied, she stepped closer, holding out the wide-eyed Emi. The pup didn't fuss, but held very still in his arms and watched Kagome. She turned to Nankae with her soap, and almost drowned herself when she felt hot breath on her ear. "Very good. You obey your alpha."

ooo

Sesshomaru watched with a mixture of amusement and arousal as the miko stiffened and sputtered. He was pleasantly surprised that she had told the young ones she belonged to a pack. Even if she thought of Inuyasha as her...no, he refused to consider that possibility any longer. She had willingly lain with him, had responded to his advances. She was _his_ pack, but Nankae was correct, the miko did need to learn what it meant to be inu. He teased her with a command he knew she would follow, caring for the pup, but he was unprepared for how her obedience had sent a pulse of warmth through him. She would argue. He knew that. It was in her nature, and, despite himself, he often looked forward to the challenge she presented. Swift prey made for a better hunt. Her opinions, well, it was within his power and benefited him to consider the perspectives of others. A miko from the future would give interesting and insightful counsel.

The pup in his arms remained wary of him. She stayed still, her instincts warning her not to draw attention from a dangerous predator. Sesshomaru combed through her black hair with his claws, letting a quiet rumble vibrate his chest so that she would know she was safe with him. Her eyes followed the miko, even as she relaxed against him. It seemed that all young, human or kitsune or inu, were drawn to her. That was good. She would be an excellent mother. When he had pulled away the blanket and seen her clothing swollen by the pup she sheltered, he had been...awed, content, pleased, and overwhelmed with a possessive need to take her close to him and cover her with his scent, his touch. The logical part of his mind knew that the pup was not his, she could not be carrying his offspring, had not yet known his seed. The beast in him wanted to make it true.

He traced the line of her neck and the curve of her shoulder, the tiny indent made by the strap of her...undergarment...the only detraction from smooth skin. Her hair was pulled over her shoulder, so there was no impediment to his view as he followed the column of her spine past her shoulders and into the water. Ripples on the surface distorted what lay underneath, but he was more than satisfied with the deep curve of her waist and the generous swell of her bottom. Sesshomaru clenched his jaw and concentrated on willing away his response. He had much to do before he could enjoy her skin on his again.

She was efficient with Nankae, and soon they were ready to leave. He handed her the little one and exited first with the other. The males dressed quickly and Sesshomaru was not immune to her blush as she stepped from the water, a small inu head on her shoulder and water cascading over bare skin. Wet, her undergarments revealed more than they concealed. The thin white fabric clung to her skin, nearly transparent except for the heavy embroidery that created flowers and leaves across her breasts and at her hips. His eyes were drawn to the dark place between her legs as she hurriedly dried and dressed Emi. She did not lift her face to his as she handed over the pup, and he forced himself to give her his back. The gesture was less out of respect for her modesty and more out of understanding that if he saw her pull that clinging fabric from her body, he was not certain he would restrain himself as he should. He wondered if he would ever understand why it was _this_ female, Kagome, who could shake his control like no other.

She dressed quickly, and when he turned and handed back the pup he took the opportunity, while her hands were busy, to retie her obi. He understood that the garment was not worn in her time, but he was repeatedly surprised that she could make new and more horrible messes each time she tried the simple task. He led the small group back through the castle, refusing to acknowledge the stares and whispers of his servants. The miko seemed to be a favorite topic of gossip. He was pleased to learn that, for the most part, she was held in high regard. The Miko no Mao had saved their Lord, saved them all. She returned with their Lord and brought back youkai children from the grasp of death itself. His eyes narrowed when he heard the ill-advised murmurs of one soldier who called into question allowing a human to remain so close to pups. Sesshomaru stopped in place and caught the male youkai's eye. He shrank back, baring his neck and bowing low. Satisfied for the time being, Sesshomaru continued on, making a mental note to speak to Hisao about occupying his troops better if they had time for idle gossip.

"Sesshomaru?" The miko interrupted Nankae's constant prattle. The pup did not seem to ever remain silent, asking questions and divulging all manner of personal and trivial information. "Aren't our rooms the other way? Have we changed again?" _Our rooms._ That pleased him immensely.

"This one's chambers have been repaired."

"Oh. Should we, er, the children and I, go to Rin's room?"

"You will accompany this one." He felt a twitch of a smile and a surge of pride when she noticed the changes. Her noises of surprise and appreciation grew as they continued through the family quarters. His carpenters had been working hard to remodel in the wake of his...disagreement with Inuyasha. The corridor ended abruptly with shoji screens on either side. Sesshomaru gestured to the left, and the miko opened the screen and stepped into the new room. He had ordered furnishings suitable for a gathering space. A low table, long enough to accommodate eight or more, sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by blue cushions. A smaller table, arrayed with implements for writing, faced the outer wall. A selection of scrolls had been installed on shelves nearby. He was pleased to see that Rin and the kit had been well occupied while he was gone. The shelves also held books from the miko's time and the main table had been decorated with flowers.

"Oh!" She turned slowly, her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and for a moment, Sesshomaru could not discern her state from her scent. "Is this...is this for me, Sesshomaru?"

"Hn." He made the briefest inclination of his head, and was reduced to sniffing the air with a hesitancy borne of uncertainty. Then she smiled. Her hand fell away from her face and the bright, warm smell of her happiness filled the room. The pups smiled as well, Emi even laughed and Sesshomaru was struck with the realization that the miko held that power over them all. With her smile there was contentment. With her sadness, despondency. Especially for him.

"It's beautiful, Sesshomaru. Thank you. I...I don't know how to…" She laughed again and turned around the room, finally coming to a stop at his side. Her eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed. "Thanks, Sesshomaru-sama. Thank you." She leaned up and pressed her warm lips against the underside of his jaw. He knew logically that his height prevented her from reaching his cheek, her most probable target. She would have no way of knowing how intimate, how familiar, how deeply significant the act was to inu. His instincts did not care for logic. His chest rumbled, and both pups snapped to attention before leaning into Kagome in boneless contentment under the effect of the sound. Her free hand remained on his chest, her weight pressed against his side.

Rin and Shippo chose that moment to emerge from another set of screens, revealing the remodeled sleeping room for his adopted daughter. After a brief bout of sniffing and some encouragement from the miko, Nankae and the kit went to investigate Shippo's toys. Rin dragged Kagome from Sesshomaru's side to show her everything that had been done. The reception room opened to the girl's sleeping chamber and beyond that another smaller room that had been laid out as a classroom. She pointed out a room for Shippo connected to the far end of the shared study area, and an open air garden, currently covered in snow, carved out of the side of the mountain. At the back of the gathering space, ornate shoji screens opened to another sleeping room, a raised futon designed for more than one was covered in luxurious bedding. Sesshomaru found a great deal of pride and satisfaction over the exclamations of the miko as she admired each new thing. She trailed her fingers over a lacquered wardrobe, which Rin explained was for her clothing, and glanced at him with worry in her scent.

"Sesshomaru...what about, I mean...isn't this where your rooms were?" He raised a brow and gestured around the gathering space with a small smirk. He could almost see her mind working. The south wall opened to Rin's space. The west opened to the garden. The northern doors revealed the sleeping room. And to the east...he barely held back a smile as she realized there was another, plain screen along that wall. She slid them apart and found Kento and Hisao waiting in an exact replica of the private study that the hanyou had destroyed. The sweet citrus of her pleasure filled the room.

"I have left papers on your desk, Kagome-sama." Hisao's eyes glittered. "See if you can figure out my new code."

"Kagome-sama," Kento began, "It is good to-" He was interrupted by the yell of a small inuyoukai.

"Commander-sama!" Nankae barreled across the room, Shippo trotting behind, and crashed into the captain's legs. A barrage of chatter followed. Descriptions of all the pup had done and seen in the hour since Hisao had escorted them to the springs. Sesshomaru held back a smile; the miko was not so contained.

"I think he likes you, Hisao-san." Hisao looked confused, and Sesshomaru found himself enjoying the other male's uncertainty. He considered for a moment how many years it had been since Hisao's mate had died. He considered many things. Particularly how soon he would like to begin his own litter, and the opportunities to do so with a talkative pup hanging on the miko's skirt.

"Miko, there is work to be done." She took Nankae's hand and enlisted Shippo and Rin to help pull him away with promises of drawing, stories, and lunch. "Stay in these rooms. Hisao will join us for dinner." She winked at the captain and bowed, shutting the screens on the three adult youkai. He turned back to his two closest advisors and ignored their openly questioning expressions. Sesshomaru settled himself at his desk and poured a cup of tea from the waiting pot. There was much to do, and no need to waste time on personal inquiries. "Report to this one on the results of your inquiries."

ooo

Rin was in heaven. She was sure of it. Sesshomaru-sama was well again. Kagome-sama was staying at the castle; she had loved her new rooms. Rin had two new pups to play with and Emi-chan was adorable. If she could name a single thing that wasn't perfect, it was that Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-sama hadn't mated yet. She was sure they would soon, though. In the courtyard, Sesshomaru-sama had scent-marked the miko in front of everyone. On her face. Rin had lived with inu for long enough to know that such gestures were only for mates and pups. Her Lord had only marked Rin that way once. On the day he announced her as his daughter, he rubbed her cheek with his in front of InuKimi and his vassals. Rin was Sesshomaru-sama's...and Kagome-sama was his too, she just didn't know it yet.

Rin snuggled down in her futon, and listened to Nankae-kun and Shippo-kun breathing quietly. After a restless nap time where Emi-chan had a nightmare and woke up Nankae, it was decided that he would sleep at night with Shippo. Shippo-kun still prefered to sleep on the floor in Rin's room, so futons had been dragged in so that they could share. Jaken-san had squawked about the waste of space and bedding, but Rin was happy to have the youkai with her. Hopefully, the kit would be her brother soon, and if Sesshomaru decided to keep the pups…

That was what the adults were discussing, she knew. She could still hear the faint, deep murmurs of Sesshomaru-sama, Kento-san, and Hisao-san. Paho would stay with the only bird youkai at the castle. They were pleased to have him, and Rin had known several birds - they were nice enough, but they didn't like to sleep or eat with other kinds of youkai. Nankae-kun and Emi-chan were a more difficult problem. There were several inu that had already approached Kento-san about inviting the children into their packs. Rin could tell that Sesshomaru-sama would not take the little girl from Kagome-sama. She grinned into her bedding. Her Lord's face got...easier...when he looked at the miko and the sweet little pup together. Of course, it would also make a difference that Emi-chan didn't like being apart from Kagome-sama; she cried when anyone else, with the exception of the Western Lord, held her. So, Emi-chan would almost definitely being staying with Sesshomaru-sama's pack.

Nankae-kun liked everybody. Rin thought the pup was about four years old, but Shippo-kun said he was a lot older than he looked. He was still young, by demon standards, but he didn't seem to be as sad about his parents dying as Emi-chan was. Rin thought that maybe Nankae-kun's parents had been like Rin's first father. Rin didn't miss him either. The boy was so nice and sweet, and cute, that Rin was sure Sesshomaru-sama would make certain his new parents loved him. It would be sad if he couldn't stay in their pack, but he would be at the castle, so Rin and Shippo-kun could still play with him.

Rin listened to the low thrum of her father and wondered how much longer it would be before he mated Kagome-sama. Shippo-kun said kitsune have a contest to decide how clever they are before they mated. If a kitsune impressed the one they liked with their tricks and illusions, that kitsune would give the trickster a gift; then their families would meet and exchange gifts. Then the kitsune boy would stay at the kitsune girl's house every night from the new moon to the full moon. Then the couple gave each other gifts, and there was a mating ceremony, and it was all done. Rin knew there were a few things different between inu and kitsune. Inuyoukai would not be very happy if someone played a lot of tricks on them. Foxes believed good tricks made a good kitsune. Rin would knew that inu thought power and strength made a good dog.

Sesshomaru-sama had definitely proven how powerful he was, and Rin decided that although Kagome-sama was not very strong, her reiki was very powerful. They had probably both won the contest. Sesshomaru-sama had given the miko lots of gifts: beautiful kimonos, her new rooms, and Rin knew there was a gold comb decorated with blue stones waiting for Kagome-sama to find and use in the morning. She had not seen Kagome-sama give anything to her Lord, but Rin didn't think the girl had to get the boy anything right away. Unfortunately, they would have to skip the next step. Shippo-kun said the magic well to Kagome's home wouldn't let anyone else through. For the same reason, Sesshomaru-sama couldn't stay through the moons at the miko's home. Rin frowned. She wondered if it would be okay if Kagome-sama stayed at the castle instead. That would mean she had to wait another…well, only three days. Then they would each give the other a present, and they could be mated. Kagome-sama would be her mother, and Shippo-kun her real brother. If Emi-chan stayed, she would be a little sister. Rin had to press the futon into her face to keep her happy laughter hidden. She tried out the sound, "Kagome-mama. Mama. Mama!" She laughed again into the cushy bedding, then froze. Someone was running up the corridor. The door to Sesshomaru-sama's study slid open, and she could make out Hisao-san's voice.

"Report, Eiichi-san."

"The leader of the Eastern wolf clan has arrived." Rin shivered, glad that Shippo and Nankae were staying with her. She knew the Eastern wolves had promised not to eat humans anymore, Kagome had told her so, but she still didn't want to be alone with one.

"It's about damn time. Show him up and-"

"This one will not have the stench of wolves in his chambers. This one will meet him in the reception hall." The voice of the Western Lord was cool and calm. Rin was so proud to be part of his pack. He was powerful and fair, and he always took care of her. Rin was sure that Kagome-sama would-

"Eiichi-san," Hisao rumbled, "you will stay here to guard Kagome-sama. Eiji-san will-"

"The miko will accompany this one."

"It is late, my Lord. Surely Kagome-sama and the pup will be safe under the watch of two while you deal with this business." Kento sounded like he was trying to reason with his Lord. Rin wanted to giggle. Kento-san was always trying to steer Sesshomaru-sama. He would have been just as effective if he barked as he was with reasonable words. Rin pressed the bedding against her mouth, unable to hold back a laugh at the image of Kento, barking at the great inu's heels like a common herd dog.

"This one does not repeat himself."

"Kagome-sama-" Kento-san was interrupted by the woman herself.

"Is awake, and perfectly capable of walking downstairs, if it is necessary." Rin could almost see the roll of blue eyes and a small smile. "Is it necessary, Sesshomaru? And may I bring Emi?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes. Give me a moment to find her a blanket."

"My Lord," Eiichi-san sounded nervous. Rin frowned. Eiichi-san was never worried about anything. "The wolf has asked if Kagome-sama is at the castle. He believes he picked up her scent in the courtyard."

"He's probably being insistent about seeing me?" There was a pause, and Rin could imagine Eiichi-san looking at the cold face of his Lord before nodding. "I definitely need to go then, before he tries to tear up the place." There was silence for a long moment. "What?"

"Kagome-sama," Kento began hesitantly.

"Why would the wolf seek you out?" Rin knew that tone. Sesshomaru would be sitting even more still than usual. He was a predator on alert. Rin was very, very glad that she would not be in the reception room when Sesshomaru-sama met the wolf.

"Uh, yeah, heh, that's kind of a long story. I had hoped the idiot would marry, er, mate with Ayame but he just won't let this stupid idea go. I mean, he's still my friend. He was an ally against Naraku, but if he grabs my hands one more time I might just let Inuyasha beat that cra- er, stuffing out of him." There was the faintest rustle, and then Nankae and Shippo stirred on their futons. Even Rin could feel the release of youki in the other room.

"Miko," Sesshomaru-sama's voice was quiet, "what idea?"

"Ah," her voice was higher-pitched than usual, "oh, nothing. Maybe I should just stay here? Emi is looking chilly and-" Her voice cut off abruptly. "Er, thank you, Sesshomaru, but-"

"This one is leaving. Eiichi, guard the pups." Her Lord's shadow flickered on the rice paper screens to the corridor, followed closely by Kagome-sama's less graceful movements. Kento-san strode behind them, carrying his usual sheaf of papers and scrolls. Hisao-san should have come next, but a quiet noise from Eiichi-san held him back.

"Hisao-taisa, may I speak freely?"

"Go ahead."

"Please stay close to Miko-sama."

"Do you think the wolf will attempt to attack her?" There was a long pause, and Rin felt a shiver of fear crawl up her spine. She didn't like wolves.

"No," Eiichi answered finally, "the opposite. He seemed very...familiar...towards Miko-sama."

"Then Sesshomaru-sama will teach him to speak with respect. What is the problem?" Hisao asked.

Eiichi answered with brevity, "When the Saidai Mao gives such a lesson, I do not wish Miko-sama to be spattered with blood."


	17. Chapter 17

"This one does not see any human whores with you, Arashi. Unless you are dragging your mother's corpse behind you." Ryukostokken dug his claws into the floor on either side of him. He had to remind himself that he still needed the spy. Once the West had been toppled and the cowardly dog lay whining at his feet, then he could gut the hanyou. He savored the imagined feeling of his claws ripping through the belly of the vile disgrace to the dragons. His entrails would steam in the cold Northern air when they spilled. Ryukostokken took a deep breath, and released sharp puffs of smoke into the room. That day would be a good day.

"The miko is well guarded. I have found a way to her, but it will sacrifice one of my informants within the Western castle, Denka-ue." The shorter, stockier frame of the hanyou knelt several steps below the Northern lord, his head bowed in a show of deference.

"You will bring that pup's human bitch before this one, or an informant much closer to the North will be sacrificed." Ryukostokken stood and stepped forward until he towered over the other male. A door slid open, the audible rub of wood on stone announcing the presence of the wind demoness. She knelt beside the hanyou with a whisper of respect. Ryukostokken admired the bruises on her wrists and throat, wondering how much longer she might have been able to live without air. Perhaps he would test the theory when night fell again. Once he had the miko… That thought fueled both his lust and his anger, although Ruykostokken felt them so closely they were as one emotion. "This one goes to inspect reclaimed territories." He grabbed the female by her hair and jerked her to her feet, displeased when she made no sound of pain. He allowed his claws to dig into her scalp until blood trickled down her neck and her sightless eyes widened with effort to hold back a scream. "Upon returning, the miko will be on her knees before this one, or I will use your blood to slicken her replacement."

The dragon lord left without a backward glance, his youkai transport gliding gracefully behind him, despite her injuries. The spy remained as he was for a long moment, contemplating the deep game of shogi he had played for many years. Arashi thought on the value of a general versus a knight, and the strategic importance of a pawn that may be promoted. They had reached mid game, and the hanyou was a 9 dan player - an elite. He considered many ways white and black might move forward, he even calculated the chances of one side or the other winning. "Check, white," he whispered to himself. Decision reached, he stood and disappeared into the shadows to follow the game to its conclusion.

ooo

Sesshomaru was not pleased. Each step he took made the stench of wolf stronger, and he found his control threatening to slip again. He could imagine what young Kouga thought of the miko. Any male not blinded by his own narrow vision would see her beauty, her power, the value she could bring to a pack. No other would have her. His youki was rising and his beast clawing for release, demanding that he take her, mark her, and spill the blood of any who made claim to what was his. He pushed both youki and beast down. Kouga was a valuable ally, one with power in the East that Inuyasha would need if he were to bring stability back to those lands. Kagome was his. Mokomoko tightened without any conscious thought on Sesshomaru's part, helping her to keep up with him and pulling her closer. Her scent drifted towards him, layered heavily with his own. Fresh cherry wood. Dew-kissed magnolias. Sour melon flesh - anxiety, but for whom he could not tell. The hot pepper of her irritation - that was most probably for him. He was aware the miko did not like being herded or dragged, and with mokomoko he managed to do both at the same time. She was his, and the wolf would know it. By her scent. By her position. By Sesshomaru's dokkaso seeping into his open wounds, if necessary.

He seated himself on the dais in the reception hall, assisting the miko to his side. She had just settled Emi when the shoji at the far end were thrown open and the wolf entered. He was fast, Sesshomaru noted with a strategic eye. It was unlikely that the miko was able to follow his movements, but the daiyoukai had no such difficulty. Kouga made straight for the dais, his intention to reach the female clear. Sesshomaru halted his progress with a punch of forceful youki. The wolf dropped out of his run to glare and clutch his chest in surprise.

"Perhaps things have changed in the East, but in the West it is customary to have introductions before an audience is held," Kento said calmly. "My Lord, may I present Kouga-san, leader of the Eastern Wolf Tribe. Kouga-san, you are received in the Western House of the Saidai Mao, Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-s-"

"Yeah, I already know them." Kouga grinned, baring his teeth in a way that Sesshomaru found offensive. The wolf stepped forward, reaching one hand out, and the daiyoukai could smell anxiety and irritation growing in the miko. _Surely she does not fear for herself while I am near? _The Western Lord repressed a frown. "How is my woman?" Sesshomaru went still. The miko was untouched, he knew, so she was not the wolf's woman. She had also mentioned that the presumptuous barbarian was an idiot and unable to listen to her. It was reasonable to assume that she had refused his advances. She had most strenuously _not_ refused Sesshomaru's. His lips pulled back to reveal the smallest flash of deadly fangs. Sesshomaru had cause to teach Kouga his place, and how it did not come near the miko's.

Hisao entered the room and flanked him on the opposite side from Kento, protecting the female. That was good. "Do you make a claim?" His voice was steady and cool, and the wolf looked confused.

"Like I been telling dog-tur, er, your brother for years. Kagome's my woman." He puffed his chest out and his eyes ran across the miko possessively. Mokomoko twitched, and the wolf hesitated. "Don't worry, Kagome, I'll carry you back to the East and you can scrub off that dog smell at the first springs we cross." Her irritation and worry were ready to boil over, but Sesshomaru ignored it, eager to let his own instincts run free. The miko was his, and he would be most pleased to make a demonstration. His eyes felt hot and poison pumped through his veins. He had to remind himself that the wolf couldn't be killed - Inuyasha needed him. The mongrel just needed to be taught a lesson.

"The miko carries the scent of her pack. This one will give you a single opportunity to dismiss your claim, and your insults to the House of the West."

"Yeah? Or what? Just 'cause Kagome hangs out with that half-breed doesn't make her a dog. I claimed her first and-" Sesshomaru's claws lengthened and he could sense Kento and Hisao preparing to back away from the coming battle. His anticipation was cut short.

"Don't call Inuyasha that." The fury in the miko's voice was white hot. She stood, shrugging out of mokomoko with some difficulty and settling Emi into the fluff. It prevented Sesshomaru from pulling her back with his tail and kept the child warm. He tensed, ready to leave his tail for his advisors to guard and leap after the miko. "I'm not a dog, Kouga. I'm not a wolf either. I am most definitely not your woman - as I have been telling you for years. I am Ka-go-me, do you hear me? I am my own person, and if you think I need anybody to fight for me, you need to think again." Her reiki rose, still encased in his youki but intensifying to illuminate her from the inside out. The sharp tang of an ocean breeze mixed with her peppery anger, and the wolf hesitated. Sesshomaru stood as well.

"The miko will-"

"Stay out of this, Sesshomaru," she snapped. The daiyoukai's eyes narrowed on her back. She was his, and she _would_ accept his authority. Challenging him in front of others was unacceptable. The wolf smirked again and his ego won out over his survival instincts.

"I knew you didn't want this pompous ass, Kagome. Come with me and I'll show you how much you'll like being my woman." He reached for her hands and winked lasciviously. Sesshomaru clenched his teeth in anger and his youki whip appeared of its own accord. Emi awoke and began to whimper.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." The miko's hands were fisted at her sides. Sesshomaru couldn't see her face, but the wolf's grin was slowly sliding into a pale mask of uncertainty. Then fear. "I am here because I want to be here. When I want to leave, I will. I want to be your friend, Kouga-kun, but if you don't get it through your thick skull that _I don't want you_ I will have to burn it into your brain, got it?" She poked him, right between the eyes, and the smell of burnt flesh assailed Sesshomaru's nose. The wolf yelped and jumped. Before Kouga managed to slap a hand against his forehead, Sesshomaru caught sight of the perfect finger-shaped hole of purification.

"Miko," Sesshomaru began, but for perhaps the first time in his long life, his laconic persona was the result of an inability to find words to express himself. The female, his female, had defied him and denied his right to claim and defend her - in front of other males. She had also quite neatly put the wolf in his place, and declared that she wanted to be with Sesshomaru. It was not inu, or youkai. _It is Kagome._ He couldn't decide if he was displeased with her refusal to allow him to protect her, as was his right, or proud of the strength she displayed. Perhaps both. There was also his long-term strategy to consider. _"I am here because I want to be here. When I want to leave, I will," _she had said. She wanted to be with him, but, as she had reminded them all, she could change her mind. She was not youkai, but human. He could not let her go, so logic determined that he must make her _want_ to stay. The matter needed considerable contemplation...which he did not have time for at that moment. There were many things he desired that he did not seem to have enough time for.

"And you," the miko spun and narrowed her eyes at him. Sesshomaru found himself in the unfamiliar and unenviable position of wondering how to calm down a female who, as far as he could tell, had no reason to be angry with him. "You woke Emi-chan!" she scolded. She stalked back to the dais and picked up the fussy toddler. Sesshomaru had, of course, been aware of the whimpers and worried sounds of the pup, but it was perfectly safe and there had been more pressing concerns. The miko acted as though Emi had been left out in the snow without food. She cuddled the pup close and Sesshomaru would have reprimanded her for her tone, but she also picked up mokomoko and wrapped it around them both. Where his tail tucked under the child and across the miko's lap, he could feel her hand stroking along his fur. If he hadn't known better, he would have been certain that the woman had learned how to apologize in inu. Of course, that was not the case, but still...some of the tension drained out of his body. He settled back into a seiza, his ruffled pride soothed with her attentions, and silence, as well as with the obvious display of her desire for his proximity. If the wolf had not lost hope for any chance with the miko when she burned his flesh, the sight of her wrapping the daiyoukai's tail around herself would have beaten the message into him.

"Tell this one what you know of events in the East." Sesshomaru had regained complete control of his indifferent mask and he waited for the wolf to respond. The lesser youkai was slow to set aside his disappointment and shock, but after a few moments he straightened and began a recounting of happenings in the Eastern lands. Kuren had sent summons to the wolf clan, notifying them that a wolf youkai refugee had come from the north, claiming that his own pack had been completely wiped out by attackers. Kouga was dealing with a pack dispute along his southern borders so he sent Ginta and Hakkaku to collect the refugee and receive any messages from Kuren.

"I should have gone myself, I would have been faster. If I was there when they came, I could have taken care of the damn dragons before they did their work." Sesshomaru almost regretted bringing the miko and pup with him as the wolf recounted the news his packmates had given him. The pup slept through the telling, but the miko became heavily scented with sadness as he described what they had found. The two wolves arrived as the slaughter was finishing. The sizeable village outside of the Eastern castle had been crippled by disease. Any who survived, even those still suffering from the pox, were murdered. "There was no honor in these killings, no purpose. No food or land was taken, the castle was abandoned to stand empty. Single males were cut down by hunting groups of three or four dragons. Females and children were torn apart as they tried to flee or hide. Kuren's family was tortured. They took the heir and she was-"

"You are certain it was dragons," Sesshomaru interrupted swiftly. They all knew what had most likely happened to the female crane youkai. There was no need for the miko to hear it confirmed.

"Ginta and Hakkaku are slower than a breeding toad youkai, but their noses are good. If they say it was dragons, that is the truth."

"They didn't get sick, did they?" The miko's worry filtered through her depressed spirits. "Those boys need to go to Edo and get-"

"We already got your medicine, Kagome. The houshi and his woman brought some to us, and sent messages with some of my faster runners to warn other villages of the sickness. There hasn't been a single report of illness south of Edo."

"Thank the gods," she whispered. Sesshomaru spoke with Kouga long into the night, discussing various means for enemy egress from the north and key supply routes. The miko finally slumped against him, her eyes drifting shut and her scent smoothing out with sleep. Still he kept her at his side while he informed the wolf of his plan. The daiyoukai shared what the wolf needed to know of the strategy; it was illogical to inform him of all of the details. There was the expected amount of denial, sputtering, and outright refusal regarding Inuyasha's role, but the wolf kept his voice down. Sesshomaru smirked to himself. No doubt the youkai was afraid to wake the pup and miko and incur her holy wrath again. Eventually, Kouga came to his senses and saw reason. He agreed to his part, and to stay the night at the castle and return east in the morning. He left the reception room with a last, mournful look at the miko, and Sesshomaru dismissed Kento and Hisao. He gathered her up in his arms and carried her back to her new sleeping chamber. As he slid the screen closed behind him and lay her down on the bedding, he allowed himself a genuine smile. _Their_ sleeping chamber.

ooo

Kagome blinked in the darkness for a few moments, trying to remember where she was. She was warm and tired, but she also needed to use the facilities. She was lying on her side with Emi curled against her front. The little girl had her hands wrapped around the neckline of Kagome's robe. The miko blinked. She was pretty sure she was wearing a kimono when she fell asleep; she vaguely remembered someone helping her get ready for bed. Kagome blushed. She very much doubted that Sesshomaru had called in a servant to help her change. The miko carefully loosened Emi's fingers and tried to wiggle away from her without waking the toddler. She promptly ran into a hard body. An arm snaked around her hip, pulling her closer, and Kagome held her breath. Hot lips pressed against her neck.

"Rest," he commanded in a sleep-roughened voice.

"Sesshomaru," she whispered, once again embarrassed, "I really have to go." He hesitated for a moment, and then relaxed his hold. With a relieved sigh, Kagome squirmed out of the futon. When she was finished, she washed her face and hands with cool water and then stopped, staring at the rice paper screen between her and the sleeping room. Always before, Sesshomaru had pulled her into bed, or she had fallen asleep and he had laid down with her. She hadn't had to make a conscious choice. She was fully awake. If she went back to bed with him, she was admitting, to herself and him, that she wanted to be there. Which was true, she realized. Kagome blushed again. _When did that happen?_ Two weeks prior, she had admired Sesshomaru's fighting skills, his patience, his cold, perfect beauty. Without her noticing, she had also come to see and admire the loyalty he inspired in his people, his determination to protect and provide for them. He was not just patient with Rin, he truly loved her. However hard he tried to conceal it with the facade he wore, Kagome could see that the human ward had become his daughter. If that weren't enough of a revelation, he had a soft spot for children. _Sesshomaru _had a soft spot. He cared for Shippo, provided for a home for Paho, took in the inu pups. He even found a way to make a place for Inuyasha, to give the hanyou a new purpose and at the same time, a wary kind of acceptance by full youkai. In their own gruff, sometimes ferocious-bordering-on-murderous, way, the half-brothers had come to at least tolerate one another. Kagome knew that Sesshomaru deserved much of the credit for the change in their relationship.

She wondered if he respected her. He seemed to appreciate the value of her knowledge and healing skill. He hadn't outright killed her earlier when she told him to butt out. _Oh, crap._ Kagome closed her eyes as she realized what she had done in a fit of temper. As if it hadn't been bad enough that she burned Kouga, _he mostly deserved it_, she had told the Killing Perfection to mind his own business. In front of his men. And Kouga. He hadn't removed her head, though, or even verbally put her in her place. Instead, he let her fall asleep on him. That was...surprising, encouraging, or possibly disturbing. He _might_ just have a tiny bit of respect for a human miko. That was a huge change for Sesshomaru.

There was also his body. _Yeah, that,_ Kagome thought, leaning back against the wall to keep from sliding into a lust-induced puddle. Sesshomaru was beautiful, no one could deny that. It turned out, on closer, more naked inspection, that he was also muscular beyond belief. Sleek and toned from fighting, sparring, and who knew what else, the daiyoukai was mouth-watering without a shirt - Kagome felt her face go bright red - or any other clothing. She had a strong intuition that he would know how to use that body too. _Get yourself under control, pervert!_ Kagome buried her face in her hands, but she couldn't deny the thought, once it had entered her mind. Sesshomaru was an excellent kisser, not that she had a lot to compare to, but still… She got weak and melty when he whispered against her neck, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if he was really trying to turn her on.

He was a dog. An actual dog. Kagome had felt some reservations about that, but the more she considered it, the more it didn't really matter. He was still him, no matter what shape he was in. And if they did become more...physical...if he even _looked_ like he would suggest it, she would just be very clear that she did _not_ want puppy kisses. Although, his fur was incredibly soft and warm. If she cuddled - Kagome stood straight. She was getting ahead of herself. She wanted to sleep next to Sesshomaru. She, Kagome squelched the girlish impulse to giggle or hyperventilate with awkwardness, wanted to sleep _with_ him. Sesshomaru seemed to be headed that direction, but she wouldn't know for certain unless she committed to that desire. _What about love?_

Kagome squared her shoulders. She didn't think she loved Sesshomaru, but she thought she could. She refused, however, to wait around and let herself become more attached, hoping that he would declare his undying devotion to her. _Been there, done that._ As unlikely as that outcome had been with Inuyasha, it was preposterous with his older brother. Kagome wasn't a girl with a crush any longer; she was a woman. After risking her life, tracking down shards, and killing the most devious and evil creature in Japan's history - not to mention giving up her heart and having it gently, but resolutely, handed back to her - all without any parental oversight, she figured she had more than earned the claim to be an adult. If she wanted something, she was going to go after it. Sesshomaru might refuse. He might even be offended. It would definitely take work to elicit any feelings that might be love, or even affection, and a damn miracle if she could get him to admit it. Kagome wasn't one to back down from a challenge, though.

She slid open the screen and made her way through the dark to the raised futon. She only tripped once, and felt her way under the bedding without falling onto Emi or Sesshomaru. Kagome held her breath as she slid over, finally encountering his heat through a sleeping robe. He lay on his back, silky hair spread around him, and the child on his chest. She could barely make out the shadowy lump of Emi, snuggled against his sternum and listening to the steady, low vibration he emitted. Kagome hesitated one last time, but she wasn't given the chance to back out. A strong arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his side and capturing her leg between his own.

"Sleep." His command was followed by a brush of lips across her forehead. The miko relaxed, resting her cheek on his shoulder and reaching out to cover Emi's hand - directly over his heart. She smiled in the darkness, recognizing all of the soft, happy feelings that came with being close to him, with him wanting her close. It wasn't love, but with a nudge, it could be. A tsunami of excited fear washed through her, making the daiyoukai sniff and twitch.

"Goodnight, Sesshomaru," she whispered to let him know she was fine. She could let herself love him. Now she only had to find the tenderness under all of his ice, and find out if he was willing to give her the same chance. Kagome went to sleep dreaming of ways to make the Killing Perfection let go of his control long enough for her to get close to his heart.

ooo

"We will move tomorrow," Arashi said softly from the shadows, watching the flow of water down the aqueducts in the village.

"There has been a change since last you were here. Several orphans have been taken in from the northern towns. One clings to the miko constantly."

"That only benefits us." Arashi watched his informant out of the corner of his eye. The inuyoukai's face was unreadable, as usual, but his kimono was creased, as though it had been slept in. The hanyou considered the implications such carelessness could have on the youkai's ability to perform certain tasks. It might require certain adjustments to his strategy.

The informant shifted restlessly, "You're sure he will want to go with her?"

"If he doesn't, I will encourage him."

"It will be better to have her out of the castle," he muttered. The informant stiffened, almost imperceptibly, as though he had said something unintended. _Interesting_, Arashi noted the admission. _This one may have his own agenda. It is good that I have never truly trusted him._ The traitor to the West continued as though he had not spoken, "I think Ryukostokken has underestimated Sesshomaru-sama if the dragon believes my Lord will allow an incursion on his home to go unanswered."

"The Denka-ue's estimations are none of your concern. Play your role, and the miko will be removed. Forget your place and… Do not forget your place." Arashi jumped onto the stone lip of the aqueduct. He picked up speed sliding down the steep incline and then took to the air, silent and invisible in the thickly falling snow.


	18. Chapter 18

Emi growled in Kagome's ear, making her laugh and sit up. "Okay, okay, I get it. Time for breakfast!" The toddler smiled at her, and Kagome raced through dressing them both and combing hair before stepping into the gathering room. Shippo, Rin, and Nankae were already seated. Jaken oversaw servants setting out dishes that made Kagome's stomach rumble in anticipation. Breakfast was a happy affair. Sesshomaru did not join them, but Kagome had a fuzzy memory of him sliding out of the futon and whispering that he would see her at dinner. That was good, because she was going to need the whole day to plan her attack. She couldn't help but hum a little with happiness as she helped Emi with her food.

"Is Kagome-sama feeling all right?" Rin caught Kagome's attention with a worried look. Shippo snorted and Nankae looked confused.

"'Gome smells happy," the boy said. He glanced at the kit for confirmation, "Right, Shippo?" Kagome overrode further discussion before things got out of hand.

"Of course I'm happy! How could I not be with you four to keep me company! I thought we could practice with brushes this morning." She turned to Nankae as Jaken and the servants returned to take away the dishes. "Do you know how to write, Nankae-kun?"

"No, 'Gome," he shook his head.

"Then we'll start with your name. Would you like to learn it?" At his shrug, she decided to offer an incentive. "After you have practiced, and Rin and Shippo finish their lesson, we can go play in the snow. How does that sound?" The children all whooped and cheered with excitement, even Emi smiled and laughed at their antics. Jaken's squawking could barely be heard over the din.

"You have other responsibilities woman, er, Miko-sama! My most fearsome and prodigious Lord has magnanimously decided to allow you to remain within the impenetrable walls of the Western Palace - but you must earn your keep, lowly human! Er, Miko-sama. Your presence is required in the infirmary this morning." Kagome wanted to roll her eyes at the toad youkai's pomposity and incessant fawning. Sesshomaru wasn't even close enough to hear him, and the servant still fell all over himself to flatter the daiyoukai. She smiled with wry humor instead.

"What requires my presence, Jaken? I thought everyone had been returned to good health. Has there been a injury?"

"You have brought these waifs to beg on my Lord's generosity. Foundlings-"

"Jaken," Kagome held onto her smile, but she could feel her temper sparking, "be very careful what you say next, or I'll throwing something much bigger than a pebble." The toad gulped, his eyes bulged comically, and the female servants grinned.

"The hatchling, Paho, is in the infirmary. Jun-san requested your presence."

"Is he hurt?"

"I do not know, hum- er, Miko-sama. Jun-san sent the message to me through another vassal of our Lord."

"I'll come down right away." Kagome continued dryly, "Thank you, Jaken. That will be all." The servants giggled and Jaken squawked, but he hurried them down the hall, leaving Kagome and the children in peace.

ooo

"The treacherous bastard!"

"The North has never claimed friendship, or even neutrality, with the West. I do not think they are treacherous, so much as ambitious. And while it has been a while since I looked over the lineages of the daiyoukai families, I believe Rykotseisui was properly mated to the mother of his whelp."

"_Ambitious coward_, then! He slinks through the dark and murders females and pups. He uses assassins instead of challenging his enemies in the open, with honor."

"We knew it was most likely Ryukostokken behind the attacks, Hisao-san. Confirmation gives us the upper hand. He does not know that we are certain of his involvement. As long as he is trying to keep himself hidden, he will have to keep the size of his raiding parties small. We can use this opportunity to secure the East with Inuyasha and Kouga-san while his movements are hindered by shadows."

"We do have the advantage, and we should press it. Attack now with the army and we can wipe out the dragons and be done with this!"

"Wipe them out? This is a war, Hisao-san, not an extermination."

"It should be…"

Sesshomaru had been listening to Kento and Hisao debate the merits of various responses to the dragon assaults for several hours. Each inu had proposed the option he favored. Kento wished to play along with the concealment Ryukostokken had wrapped around his actions. The daiyoukai's assistant recommended sending spies to the North and an envoy to the South. He even volunteered himself to speak with Hirimoto, the Southern Lord, to make certain he was aware of the situation and gain his support. Kento wanted to gather allies and information and wait for the dragon to make an overt move. Hisao, ever the military captain, preferred a direct attack with the full force of the West behind it. Sesshomaru had always preferred the long strategy. His temperament gave him the advantage over his enemies; they always made a final, fatal mistake in their impatience. However, he found himself considering immediate action. There was a part of him that wished to end the threat against his lands as quickly as possible. It had been over a century since he had last waged war, and several years since the evil of Naraku had been defeated. Perhaps age had reduced his interest in stalking his prey from afar. More likely, he admitted to himself as his advisors continued their debate, he had more to lose. A strategy that lasted years, even decades, and resulted in minor losses on both sides was less acceptable when those losses could be personal. There was also the constant, insistent reminder that not everyone close to him could wait years or decades. He would not let the passage of time take his miko from him, but to ensure success he needed to be able to devote attention to the matter. A war did divide his focus somewhat. It was a delicate balance, and Sesshomaru did not like being in the unfamiliar position of having his desires conflict with his logic. He would simply have to devise a strategy that allowed for both.

He opened the youkai barrier, erected to ensure secrecy, around his study and searched her out. She was with the pups. Sesshomaru touched briefly on each of them. Her cheerfulness had an undercurrent of worry. The female seemed to worry about everyone; in time she would come to recognize that he would not allow harm to come to her or those she cared for. At least her reiki seemed to be recovering. She had enough power to burn Kouga, and he felt confident that she would not injure herself again - at least not before one of the guards or his own youki alerted him to the danger. Still, he kept her close by, holding his meetings in his private study so that she could remain near him.

Rin and Shippo were happy and excited. Nankae was content as well and the last traces of his grief were nearly gone. The littlest one was...with Kagome. There was no other way to describe the perfect combination of joy, serenity, and warmth that filled Emi. He recognized it, as similar emotions mingled with desire, satisfaction, and possessiveness in him whenever he was with the miko. Or when he saw her. Or scented her. Thought of her. He sealed his barrier again.

"This one will send a messenger to the South. Kento, you will remain and coordinate information. Hisao, call up any who owe service. The North will fall before the winter is over." Sesshomaru pulled a fresh scroll towards him and selected a brush. "This one will consider your thoughts on the identity of a traitor among us."

ooo

"See Emi? Those are the gardens. In the spring, they will be full of flowers. Can you say 'flowers', Emi?" The pup didn't answer, but smiled up at Kagome from inside her heavy wrap. Fat flakes of snow dusted her dark bangs and eyelashes. The miko sighed, but her determination to get the adorable girl to speak didn't flag. "Do you see Eiichi-san and Eiji-san?" The pup glanced over Kagome's shoulder, then swiveled comically to the front, checking the location of both guards. "Do you think they would like the flowers? When the spring comes, should we make necklaces of pretty blossoms for them to wear?" The rock demons endured her teasing stoically and the toddler giggled and smiled, but still refused to speak. Kagome kept up her one-sided conversation as she followed Eiichi through the courtyard to the infirmary. As they neared the building, she gave Emi a little squeeze. She hoped Paho was okay, he had lost so much recently, he deserved to find peace with a new family. Kagome whispered a little prayer that the youkai who had cared for him would love him, and he them. Eiichi grabbed the door, but Jun caught it from the inside before it could open more than a few feet.

"Do not let out all of the warm air, Eiichi-san. I have a patient. I'll be putting up a barrier, if you don't mind. The young one wishes to say some things to Kagome-sama in private." At Eiji's reluctant nod, Jun turned to Kagome, and she let out a breath in relief that he did not appear sad or worried. His eyes were tight at the corners, but if he had sick or injured that needed care, a little concern was not out of place. "I have given Paho a clean bill of health, but I thought you might like to see him before he goes back down to the village."

"Oh, yes," Kagome smiled and ducked her head in a small bow. "Thank you, Jun-san." She turned to the guards, "Will you wait for me here, or would you rather come in out of the cold?" Jun stiffened slightly, and Kagome wondered if perhaps he did not care for the rock brothers. They shook their head in the negative, and Eiji made her promise not to take too long so that they could return to the castle before Shippo and Nankae got into any mischief. Kagome laughed and agreed before stepping inside. Jun slid the door closed. She felt a twinge of uncertainty, and then a barrier snapped into place around the room.

"If you resist, the hatchling dies," a nasally voice said from the shadows. Kagome turned to her left slowly, pressing Emi against her side and freeing up one hand to defend them both, if necessary. The pup whimpered.

"Do not hurt the young one, Gakuto-san." Jun stood stiffly, his hands fisted at his sides. _No wonder his eyes looked pinched_, Kagome thought. _Being held hostage would worry anyone. _Another youkai, a thin, brown-haired male, had his back to the balcony wall. Paho was clutched to his chest, his neck nearly concealed by a large, clawed hand.

"Shhh, it's okay Paho," Kagome soothed. Her eyes flicked to Jun and then Gakuto. He looked familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. "What do you want?"

"I want your kind to suffer. The _holy_ human," he sneered. "You cast youkai into ash with a touch. No more! The Western Lord has already brought enough shame upon youkai by bringing that human welp into his pack. It would have died in only a few decades, but you, you will bring more than shame - you bring the stench of purification and death to youkai! A human whore who would bear weak half-breed bastards. You and your kind mean to weaken the greatest race to walk the earth! We will raise our hands against the humans, and no one will stand in our way. Not the pathetic isha," he spat at Jun's feet, "not a miko whore. Not even the mighty Sesshomaru will stand between the most powerful youkai and the deaths of every last human! Your weakness will not infect Japan any longer." Kagome realized where she had seen him before. He had been one of the youkai gathered outside Sesshomaru's study when the daiyoukai fell ill.

"You can't do this, Gakuto," Jun tried to reason with him. "The Saidai Mao will hunt you down and rip your heart from your chest if you hurt any under his protection."

"Saidai Mao." The youkai said it as a curse, his claws digging into Paho's neck. The action drew blood and a pained gasp from the boy. Kagome felt her heart leap in sympathy. "Not for long. He does not deserve the title. A youkai who can lead, who sees that we are meant to rule this land - free of the stinking rot of humans, will take his place. The dogs will follow a new master, as they are meant to do."

"Inuyoukai will not obey any but an alpha, Gakuto. Only the Inu no Tashio and Sesshomaru have brought us all into one pack." Kagome could sense the angry aura rolling off of Jun. "You are a fool if you think to bring the West to heel."

"A new age is coming, Jun. An age where youkai rule the earth as we were meant to and the only humans left alive will serve us and worship us as gods. You inu can fall into line, or you can be crushed alongside your little pets," Gakuto snarled, and Kagome interceded before their argument could result in further injuries.

"What does that have to do with Paho?"

"Nothing, you stupid woman. He is merely the bait. You will come with me, and my new Lord will use you as he sees fit to bring the end to the mockery of youkai that the West has become. You will taint no one else with your vile spells."

Kagome took a deep breath. "If I go with you, you will let him go? You will not hurt anyone else? Not Paho, Jun or Emi?" Kagome felt like her stomach was going to jump out of her mouth. Fear, sour and cold, pooled in her chest. Paho was so close to danger...and little Emi…

Gakuto cursed her stupidity, but he nodded. She leaned into Jun, passing over the little toddler, whose trembling escalated into whines. "Shhh, it's okay, baby. Jun-san will take good care of you until Sesshomaru comes. Shhh." She kissed the little girl on the head and avoided the grasping hands that reached for her. Kagome wanted to stay. She desperately wanted to grab Emi and run out the door, shouting for Sesshomaru. She wanted to let the rock brothers deal with Gakuto and rescue Paho. But she couldn't. No one else would come in time. She wanted to blast Gakuto with purification, never mind how badly it would hurt, but she hadn't spent much time practicing with her offensive power since Naraku had been defeated. She wasn't sure she could control herself enough to not hurt Paho. The demon had a boy by the throat, and he would kill him without blinking. She knew he must have been stronger or smarter than he looked as well, since Jun had been tricked or overpowered into letting him into the infirmary and near Paho. No one else could reach them before Paho could be killed, not with the barrier. Gakuto might also be able to get to Kagome, Jun, or even little Emi before the guards realized something was wrong. She had the opportunity to save them, though. Paho and the others would be safe, Jun would look after them and raise the alarm. All she had to do was go quietly.

"Don't do anything to anger him, Kagome-sama," Jun whispered. He tucked the little girl close to his chest and stepped back, ignoring her whimpers and frowning at the miko. "Obey their directions."

Kagome nodded shakily and stepped towards Gakuto, suddenly, inappropriately feeling lucky for choosing pants and a jacket that morning. As soon as she was within arm's length, the youkai grabbed her wrist and shoved the boy away. Paho hit his head hard on the floor. Gakuto bound her hands quickly and gagged her. She stood still, trying to ignore her fear and concentrate on the relief she felt in seeing Jun bandage Paho's wounds.

"Wait for a count of one hundred before you raise the alarm," Gakuto ordered Jun, and then he opened the outer shoji, stepped onto the stone aqueduct, and leapt out of sight. Kagome closed her eyes so she wouldn't scream as the castle wall and village raced past beneath her.

ooo

Jun checked the bird youkai's pulse. The hatchling would wake up with a headache, but he would be fine. The pup was still whimpering, and had crawled away from the spot where he had left her on the floor. Jun doubted that he would be able to pick her up without ruining his hearing with piercing shrieks. "You were correct, he had no problem going with her." He glanced towards the shadow at the far end of the infirmary.

"Gakuto is a simple one. It was not difficult to know what he would do."

"You'll meet up with him near the border?" Jun finished wrapping a bandage around the boy's neck and stood slowly. He had respect for the spy of the Dragon Lord, both his tactical mind and his fighting skills.

"Somewhat sooner." Arashi glanced to the pup. She was pressed back against the wall, trying to appear as small as possible. Jun followed his gaze and made an irritated face. "How will you explain her fear of you? She could no doubt scent your duplicity."

"She is a pup," Jun shrugged. "I will think of something. Once I bring down the barrier I will have plenty of youki to mask my scent. She doesn't speak, and no one else will realize."

"Good." Arashi stepped up to the aqueduct and prepared to follow Gakuto and the miko into the increasingly thick snow. "Jun-san," he called over his shoulder, "Your part at the Western Palace is not finished. Be certain that you are able to perform your next task. Or I will not be pleased." The hanyou stepped out onto the stone and began his race out of the castle. He did not need the superior sense of smell inherited by inuyoukai to know that the healer struggled to repress his anger. Jun was not as foolish or near-sighted as Gakuto, but he would not be valuable much longer. Arashi had pushed both sides into a new phase in the game, and some pieces would have to be sacrificed.

ooo

Sesshomaru was on edge. His instincts were urging him to inspect his territory, but he could not leave until the discussion was complete. Only _his_ youki could make a barrier strong enough to prevent any form of espionage, and the search for a spy inside the Western castle demanded secrecy. Still, he was eager for Kento and Hisao to agree the list was complete so that he could check on his pack and patrol the castle, if not all his lands. A frantic knocking cut off the conversation and Sesshomaru quickly withdrew his barrier. Before the guard could enter the room, the daiyouaki was standing at attention. Sesshomaru could not find the miko. The young ones, minus Emi, were all still in the gathering room with no hints of distress. His youki flared out, seeking the two females. He was aware of the stiffening of his servants and soldiers as his energy whipped past them, but he ignored it. Within seconds he had found the pup in the infirmary, but the miko was not with her. That was not right.

The guard was bowing and speaking, but Sesshomaru listened with only one ear as he moved to the outer wall in a blur of movement. He slid aside a screen and stepped onto a balcony, summoning his cloud and bypassing the corridors and stairs that would only slow his passage. The guard's words echoed in his head, "Miko-sama has been taken." Sesshomaru had to force his cold mask into place. He could not afford to lose control. If he did, if he allowed the emotions that statement stirred to be expressed, he would not rest until he had destroyed everything that stood between the miko and himself. Even his own people. Rage filled him. The enemy had come into his domain, his very home. He would devour the one who had entered the Western Lands and his castle to undermine his authority. A snarl rose in his chest. He was Alpha, his dominance over what was his was absolute, and any who took from him would pay with their lives. Those who had not done their duties to protect the castle, the miko, their punishment would be swift as well. He had given her his word, made her one of his pack, and he could not, would not, allow his honor to be impinged by breaking a vow of protection.

Taken. He would retrieve her. The miko had been kidnapped many times while she travelled with Inuyasha. Even once while the daiyoukai was with their group. She knew to leave a scent trail or markings to make herself easier to find. And she had her reiki as well. Sesshomaru felt something icy wrap around his spine. If he had known the emotion before, he might have called it panic. Or terror. Her energy had been badly damaged, and although she had used it against Kouga, it had been a small demonstration. He had no real idea of how well she would be able to protect herself, if necessary. He dispersed his cloud and opened the infirmary door with more force than required, snapping the wooden frame. Sesshomaru would simply locate and retrieve her before she needed her reiki.

Paho was unconscious and bandaged. Jun kneeled over the hatchling, wearing an expression of worry and shame. Eiichi stood near the pup, whose wailing could be heard throughout the courtyard. His face was stony with anger, and he stared at the healer. Eiji was not in sight, nor was the miko, although her scent was faintly present. "Report," Sesshomaru said tightly. His fists clenched inside his sleeves to keep from drawing his sword and demanding answers.

"Eiji and I escorted Kagome-sama here to see the orphan boy. She took the pup inside with her and we stood guard. Jun's barrier came up-"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "Jun." He didn't have to make the name a question, everyone in the room understood he was demanding answers.

"The kidnapper threatened to kill Paho if I did not," Jun answered. Sesshomaru let it go. Such a barrier had been responsible for keeping the guards from protecting the miko as they should have. Whatever the situation, Jun had not chosen wisely. He would pay for that mistake, but Sesshomaru needed more information before he could impress upon the healer how wrong he had been.

At the Lord's nod, Eiichi continued, "When the barrier went down a few minutes later, the pup was crying. Jun called for help. When we entered, the boy was hurt and Kagome-sama missing. Eiji went after her the way that Jun said her kidnapper took her."

Sesshomaru could feel the dokkaso dripping from his claws, unbidden. The guards had failed him, and they would earn back their honor with actions and blood, or be removed from his pack by his fangs. The same punishment would be suffered by any who had failed in their duties and allowed his enemy entrance. He barely restrained the urge to cull them where they stood. He had more pressing concerns and the incompetence of the rock brothers could wait. Sesshomaru foudn that he had to clench his jaw in order to speak, rather than snarl, at his subordinates, "She should not have left her rooms. You and your brother will take responsibility once she is returned." Eiichi nodded, anger, regret and anxiety overpowering his scent. Sesshomaru turned to Jun. He did not have to speak, Jun bowed low before him, emanating shame.

"The kidnapper came in while I was examining Paho and took him hostage. He threatened to kill the hatchling if I did not bring Kagome-sama to the infirmary and form a barrier once she arrived. Once she got here, threats to Paho's life convinced her to leave the pup behind and go. My Lord," Jun paused and cast his eyes down, "it was Gakuto."

_My administrator._ Sesshomaru's anger boiled up. He had been looking for a traitor. Someone was passing information about the size and defenses of villages in the West to his enemies. Gakuto, with his position in the outer chambers of the reception room, announced all guests and even handled some correspondence when Kento was busy. He was in a good position to know valuable information. And his hatred of humans was well-known. If the duplicitous youkai harmed the miko, his death would be most unpleasant.

Hisao and Kento arrived, slightly behind their Lord as they did not possess the ability to fly to the infirmary. Jun verbally repeated his story to Kento, rather than using the telepathic communication that their inu line was capable of. Kento remarked on it, but Jun stated that he did not wish to share the shame and fear he had felt when the miko was taken. Hisao questioned Eiichi; the captain's tone betraying his disappointment, his anger at his own soldier.. Sesshomaru stood by silently, battling with himself. He needed to go after the miko. He wanted to go after her. If he left immediately, it was unlikely the traitor could make it near the border before the daiyoukai caught him. The miko would still be alive. If Ryukostokken wanted her dead, Gakuto would have tried to kill her rather than taking the risk of fleeing across the Western Lands with her.

Sesshomaru _should_ wait.

That thought sent his instincts howling. His logic, the calm reasoning side of his mind that ruled the largest of the four youkai lands and earned his title as Highest of the Lords, told him that the miko would not be killed. She would likely be tortured, but she could survive for several months while Ryukostokken tried to extract information and bait Sesshomaru with her. The West could use that time to mount an attack without the detriment of a spy among them. She was strong. She was not defenseless. Going after her would jeopardize his entire strategy against the North. Lives could be lost. The Western Lord could not take action thinking only of himself. If he went after her, Ryukostokken would know that his plotting had been revealed. Sesshomaru would kill any dragons that stood in his way, but it was unlikely that their Lord would face him in combat. He was too cowardly. Left alive and exposed, Ryukostokken could cause significantly more damage, increasing the casualties from the pending war exponentially.

His emotions, his instincts, his youki and beast, snarled for immediate action. She had been taken from him, and that would not be borne. The Dragon would seek to harm her, and if he did, Sesshomaru would crush the lowest of the youkai lords, the Saigo Mao, between his jaws and melt his castle with dokkosu. He had nearly lost control when the wolf made a claim on her. The image of her bruised, beaten at the hands of his enemy, was enough to make his eyes bleed red. She was _his_. The miko was strong, but her power was compromised. And the miko was only one. A human miko. Powerful, unique, but only one. He was the Western Lord. The Saidai Mao, responsible for thousands of youkai, hundreds of thousands of lives. He knew his duty to his people, his title, demanded that he sacrifice one for many. He walked the path of conquest, and to conquer his enemies, he had to be cold. Calculating.

He closed his lids and sent mokomoko to comfort the pup. Her high-pitched cries subsided to whimpers and tears as his tails wrapped around her and lifted her close to him. "Quiet," he commanded her in a low voice. The others fell silent as well, and Sesshomaru focused on the lingering smell of magnolia blossoms and cherry wood that clung to the pup. He had acknowledged that the miko meant much to him. She was his. But with each day, each hour she spent with him, he felt himself becoming further entangled in her. He wondered if she had entered him, as his youki had done to her. His power had made a home within her, and he was not certain that he could live in the cold again. _Is this what father felt? Is this why he risked everything for Izayoi?_ The miko had to be strong. If he would mate her, and he had already made that decision, then she would rule the West at his side. He would throw aside tradition, culture, and the prejudiced arrogance of millennia to keep her. There would be detractors. Even after her display of power, of compassion to youkai when she healed those at the castle, some would not think her fit to be at his side. She could very well be the only certain means of curing the pox, and her ability to sense and repair the damage to the fertility of youkai might be the key to ensuring their continued survival. He had already admired and determined to secure her knowledge of the future for the West; he could not let that fall into the wrong hands. However, she was also his weakness. His desire for her, his feelings for her were dangerous - to her as well as to the security of the West. His enemies could use her against him, if they knew her value. If war came too soon, to a West unprepared, if many died because he placed his attachment and concern for her above the welfare of thousands…he could not afford for her to be perceived as weak. The West could not afford it.

And yet...he could not do nothing. He would send scouts. His most trusted and experienced trackers. The heavy snow would make it difficult, but they would find her trail and where she had been taken - and by whom. Sesshomaru knew the opportunity to save her, to bring back what was his and correct the injury that the incursion on the castle and her kidnapping had done to the security and pride of the West, would be narrow and with great risk - if it came at all. He would still be ready. He would be truthful with himself, always, and he wanted her back and would risk almost anything for her. He wished he could risk _everything_. He wished he did not have the burden of leadership that he could claim what was his, without wait, and destroy his enemies without creating consequences to so many lives. That was not to be, but Sesshomaru had always had a long-term strategy, and he would be prepared for the moment that circumstances could be manipulated in his favor. He would consider an alternative plans as well. _Perhaps there was another..._

"Jun." He did not open his eyes, but his ears easily noted how the healer snapped to attention. "Finish with the hatchling and a guard will return him to his caretakers. Eiichi, fetch your brother."

"My Lord, he may yet find Kagome-sama's trail and-"

"Now." His voice allowed no room for argument. "Return to the castle and guard the pups. If you fail in this assignment, it will be your last."

"Hisao, Kento." He opened his eyes, certain that he had cleared the red from them and could maintain an emotionless facade. "This one is not finished with your counsel."

"Surely, my Lord, we will not wait until Spring-"

"Speak out of turn again, captain, and this one will remove your undisciplined tongue." He turned to leave, the pup held close against his shoulder by mokomoko. "The miko was told to remain in the castle." He flinched, almost imperceptibly. His anger, and a sadness that he refused to examine out of concern that it would overwhelm him, tried to drag his next words back. With all of the self-discipline that Sesshomaru had honed over eight centuries, he forced out what had to be said, "There are consequences for every action." He stepped over the remains of the door and out into the snow. Heavy, wet flakes stuck to his fur and hair. The deep drifts dampened the ankles of his pants. The pup squirmed and wriggled until she could look over his shoulder, and suddenly threw her weight against him, arms outstretched.

"Kago-mama!" Her little cry was high and sharp in Sesshomaru's sensitive ears. The twisting of his heart hurt far worse. _Kagome._

ooo

It was a good day for the North. Ryukostokken left the cell deep underneath his castle with a smile. It had been thoughtful of his captain to bring a few Western captives back for his Lord's use. The daiyoukai had already finished with the first female; his servants disposed of the corpse before he had started breakfast. His experience with her child had been just as pleasing. Humans were filthy, uncivilized creatures, but he had nearly forgotten how tender their meat could be. After such a meal, he turned his attention to the male. Unfortunately, Ryukostokken had also forgotten how much weaker humans were than youkai. The torture session had been disappointingly short. Still, the taste of fear and pain in the man's hot blood was enjoyable, and he had the second female waiting for his pleasure.

He would request at least one captive from each village going forward. It was an amusing pastime, a way to whet his appetite for vengeance before the time came to move his army forward and attack the pup. Ryukostokken detoured to walk past the training grounds where his men held weapons practice. The soldiers were ready. The path of attack had been cleared for their approach. Sesshomaru's ranks were decimated by disease and his closest ally had been killed. Soon, Arashi would return with the miko, and then the dragon would take even more from the dog. First his people. Then his whore. Then his life.

It was a good day.

ooo

**Thank you to my generous reviewers. I am so sorry this chapter has taken me longer than usual, but I am still working on a few other projects, and I haven't yet found a beta reviewer. I hope to be more punctual in the future.**


	19. Chapter 19

**As of November 3, 2013, the first eighteen chapters of Second Alliance have been edited and rewritten. For those reviewers who had questions, found errors, or just argued with the way the characters were acting, you may want to re-read the story from the beginning before continuing. Please keep in mind, I have only rewritten sections to make my own intentions for the characters clearer.**

**Enormous thanks to Arcane Theorem, who has undertaken the difficult task of reviewing and editing my work. Thank you for all of your efforts and suggestions; you have made this story a better version of what it was**.

ooo

Kagome struggled to take a deep breath. Gakuto carried her over his shoulder, and with every step she was jarred against him, driving the air out of her lungs. She knew she would be bruised the next day, assuming she didn't already have a cracked rib or two. She had spent the first hour of the journey worrying about Emi, Paho, and Jun. She hoped Sesshomaru wasn't angry with the rock brothers; they were already on some sort of probation after she had shorted out her reiki. Kagome didn't want them in trouble because of her again. The next hour, reality set in. She had been kidnapped. It wasn't a friendly kidnapping like Kouga, or even a simple matter of using her as bait to get to Inuyasha. This was a war.

Kagome knew what war looked like. She had read more military history since she had first fallen down the well than most graduate students of the subject. The sudden and strange disease, the raids on Western villages, and the murder of the Eastern Lord were preludes to a war. If the opening act was any indication, it would be a bloody, desperate grasp for power that would devastate youkai, if not all of Japan. Her stomach churned and bile rose in her throat. Even if she could have, she probably wouldn't have stopped herself from throwing up all over Gakuto's back.

In seconds, she found herself flying through the air. She hit a snowbank, luckily, and skidded to a stop against a tree. Her head snapped against the trunk, and for a moment she saw stars.

"Stupid, filthy human!" Gakuto shucked off his kimono and scrubbed it against the snow. Kagome didn't respond. He didn't seem to be interested in what she had to say, and the dizziness was not helping to settle her stomach. The youkai snarled, apparently upset that vomit wasn't easy to get out, and stomped towards her. A puff of snow exploded in her face when he stopped. "You'll pay for this insult, whore," he spat and the back of his hand flashed across her vision and withdrew before she even felt the pain of the blow. Her cheek throbbed, but she bit her tongue to keep from crying out - or losing her temper. Kagome scooped up snow with her bound hands and held it to her face. A whirlwind kicked up flakes and stung her eyes, causing Gakuto to curse. When the area cleared, another youkai stood with them.

"Gakuto," his voice was flat, "that doesn't belong to you." The administrator snarled and stalked away, cursing her species and females in general. Kagome focused on the new demon's face, sensing that, despite the injury Gakuto had inflicted, the shorter, heavily muscled youkai was far more dangerous. His eyes were black; the iris disappeared into the pupil. His skin had a greyish-brown hue that darkened across the pebbled surface at his brow and down his nose. He stepped forward and examined her cheek.

"Where are you taking me?" Her voice wavered a little bit and Kagome shivered, from cold or fear she couldn't tell.

"North," he answered shortly. He reached out to lift her gag from where it had fallen around her neck, and his hand brushed against her skin.

Kagome wasn't sure what made her say it, but she couldn't stop the words from tumbling from her lips, "Please." He stopped, his eyes meeting hers. "Please don't. Don't do this." His black eyes considered her, and she was unable to read any emotion in them. Kagome could not breathe. It was her worst nightmare, repeated over again. She had thought with the death of Naraku that she wouldn't have to live through such a situation again. Instead, she was being used, used against the people she cared about. Their enemies would dangle her like a prize and draw her friends, her family, into danger. The snow soaking into her pants, the frost forming on her breath, the sting of her cheek and the raw feeling in her throat were nothing in comparison to the crushing weight of that moment. "They won't come," she said desperately. "Sesshomaru cares nothing for humans, he won't come after me. And Inuyasha doesn't even know I have been taken, I haven't seen him in weeks," she lied, praying that this demon would not be able to smell her deception. Something flickered across his face, as though he had heard something of interest.

"You may call me Arashi," he said. He slipped the gag back into her mouth and tightened it to secure it from falling again. Gakuto had replaced his kimono and was complaining that they should be off. Kagome kept her eyes on Arashi, waiting for him to tell her that her words meant nothing to him. Instead he ordered Gakuto to go on, and picked up the miko behind her knees and shoulders. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Do not struggle."

They travelled for hours, listening to Gakuto complain about the weather, the lack of respect he received in the West, and his general disgust concerning Kagome. They stopped only once - to drink at a stream and allow Kagome to relieve herself. The moment her gag was removed she spoke carefully, having considered exactly what she wanted to say during the long hours they travelled, "If you try to hurt my friends, if you want to use me to hurt them, I will kill you." She did her best not to let her fear or anger show. She hardened her features into a cold mask, trying to replicate the frightening apathy of Sesshomaru.

Arashi considered her, and then replaced her gag without waiting for her to drink. They ran on. Gakuto was breathing heavily, but Arashi did not seem to notice her weight. The sun rose high, and then sank, casting absolute darkness over the land. The snow had not let up for days, and as they continued north it seemed to fall even thicker. The wind blew harder and the snow piled higher, forcing the two demons to bound rather than run to avoid sinking into the drifts.

Kagome worried, and boiled with anger, and worried again. She wanted to reach for her reiki. She wanted to purify the two demons who had taken her and run back to the Western Palace. She was afraid. Afraid that she would only injure herself further if she tried to use so much of her power. Afraid that she would fail to summon it, but provoke further punishment from her kidnappers. Afraid that if they believed she would and could use miko powers on them, they would devise a way to keep her from her holy energy, ending any future attempts to escape.

In the end, she did nothing. She felt bitter over the decision. Kagome was always the damsel in distress, always the one taken and held captive or used as bait. She always did nothing, waiting to be rescued; waiting for help to come. It was likely Sesshomaru would save her this time, and it stung that she would have to be saved - again. He would not be pleased by an incursion into his home, and he had said she was under his protection. If she was injured or killed, it would be a stain on his honor. Whatever else Sesshomaru was, Kagome knew he was honorable. It might take him a while; after all, he had the disease, raids, and chaos in the East to deal with. She stiffened her resolve. Kagome could wait, but she wouldn't be idle. She would look for the opportunity to make her own escape. She was not the clumsy schoolgirl she had been four years ago. Well, she was still clumsy, but she had learned a lot about herself, her power, and violence. At the very least, when Sesshomaru came for her, she would be able to say she had put up a fight. They reached the northernmost point of the main island, and stepped into a waiting boat. Arashi left her on the boards while he rowed, powerful strokes that ate up the waves and the hours of night.

"There," Arashi's voice was low and toneless. She followed his gaze through the darkness, but saw nothing. As they continued to move forward, tiny pinpricks of light appeared in the falling snow. Then a wall emerged, soaring out of nothingness to rise like a cliff face before them. The stone was black and smooth like volcanic glass. Guards stood at the base of a short floating dock, braziers burning beside them. Between them was a massive gate.

Arashi picked her up again and climbed out of the boat. "I have returned," he stated.

Both youkai bowed low, lower than Kagome thought they needed to, and pulled on the wooden handles of the doors to open the way. Arashi strode forward silently. Gakuto less so. Twists and turns in narrow passageways, the snow still falling on top of them, led them to another gate. And then another. At each barrier, the guards bowed to Arashi and let them through, until finally they approached the castle itself. Kagome suppressed a shudder. The walls were not whitewashed, but made entirely of the same black stone. Reptilian eyes watched her from positions of defense and followed their progress. Kagome could feel her reiki surging to life, fighting for release. Her base impulse was to let her power loose and _run_, as fast and far as she could. Logic told her it would most likely get her killed. She battled with herself, doing everything she could to hold back her own survival instincts. The door opened slightly, without any bows, and Arashi put her down, securing her by the cloth that bound her hands and leading her behind him.

Gakuto's tirade finally fell silent as they stepped into a large stone chamber. A raised wooden floor muffled their footfalls until they were halfway across the large space, then Arashi fell to his knees, pulling Kagome down with him. She glanced wildly around, looking for whomever they were waiting for. "Remain silent." Arashi's voice was barely even a sound, but Kagome did not have time to wonder if it was a threat or a warning. A screen at the far end of the room opened and a daiyoukai of incredible power stepped out onto the dais. His youki slammed into the space and Kagome's eyes widened. She had rarely felt anything even approaching his energy before. Naraku. Inuyasha's full-youkai state. Sesshomaru. The daiyoukai's black eyes narrowed and a malicious grin broke across his face.

"You have relieved some of the inept shame that follows your name, half-breed." Kagome's eyes widened slightly before she could control her reaction. _Hanyou, like Inuyasha._ "Finally you succeed at the task this one has given you." He prowled across the dais, not moving closer, but Kagome could feel the hot, irritating tentacles of youki prodding at her in the same way his gaze inspected her visually. She clamped down on every emotion, picturing only the cool mask of Sesshomaru's features at his most detached and striving to emulate it. She must have been successful, because the daiyoukai lifted his lip with distaste and pushed harder with his energy, trying to unsettle her and force his way into her body. A distant part of her brain was surprised at how little reiki it took, floating just under her skin in a barrier, to keep him out.

"It was not this lowly creature, but I, Gakuto, who brought Sesshomaru's whore to you." Kagome wanted to look at the traitor, to see his face as he realized how stupid it had been to speak out, but she did not. She had only just met the Lord that ruled the Northern Palace, and she was certain that he would not appreciate such an outburst. "She is a gift to you, the next Saidai Mao! Break her and throw her bones at Sesshomaru's feet as you conquer Japan and drive out the human infestation!" Kagome found a spot on the far wall to stare at. She would not have felt a bit of remorse for purifying Gakuto's lying face, but she had no desire to see what would happen to him if the daiyoukai decided the administrator was not worth the air he breathed.

"You? You have brought a miko for this one's enjoyment?"

"Yes, my Lord! Take your pleasure and bathe in her blood before you leave her to rot!" There was a tiny sound from beside her. In another place and time, Kagome would have considered it a snort of disbelief. The great demon heard it as well. His black eyes turned to Arashi.

"Do you disagree, half-breed?" He bared his teeth in a parody of a smile that sent a shiver down Kagome's spine. Gakuto foolishly threw himself in the spotlight again.

"What else would he say but to try to claim honor for his own? I alone have done as you wished, Denka-ue. I have betrayed Sesshomaru. I have brought you the miko. I should remain at your right hand." Gakuto preened and puffed out his chest with ego.

"I would not disagree with my betters, Gakuto-san." Arashi's voice held no inflection. "I am only confused at the encouragement you give the one to which you have sworn a life oath. I would never be so bold as to assume such ignorance of Ryukostokken-sama. I am eager to see how he will discipline your error."

"Error?" Gakuto was confused for a moment. Kagome watched from the corner of her eye as his face went slack. She didn't know why Arashi was doing it, but Gakuto was being played.

"Speak," commanded Ryukostokken.

"The miko was kept by Sesshomaru for a fortnight, yet she remains pure. I do not know what would stop a lowly dog from rutting with a human female at his disposal, much like his father, but the rumors…" His voice trailed off, and Kagome had trouble staying calm as a sudden gust of wind ruffled her hair and hot, acrid air blew in her face. The daiyoukai had moved across the room in an instant, his face mere inches from hers. His tongue flicked out, tasting the space around her. Kagome was reminded of a snake.

"Pure? As the mud under my feet is pure. As the floor of a human hovel is-" Gakuto's scoffing was abruptly cut off by the Lord.

"She is a miko." Black eyes bored into hers, but he did not touch her.

"No longer, my Lord! Many in the Western Palace witnessed her collapse. Her power has died, she can not harm you." The Lord turned slightly to look at Gakuto, who quickly tried to fix his mistake. "Not that you could be injured by even the most holy of priestesses! She didn't purify anyone at the Western Palace, only healed them, even before she lost her power. Mikos lose their power when they are defiled, my Lord. Her purity is gone."

"Do you question this one's senses?" Gakuto sputtered, and the Lord stood straight, glaring down at him. "Or do you think to fool this one into being purified? You have committed treason against one Lord. This Ryukostokken will not suffer such a fate!" The dragon's voice rose with every word, until he was shouting. He sucked in a great lungful of air, and then Kagome was blinded by heat and light. There was a shrieking, wailing sound that did not end abruptly, but slowly wavered out with a series of pops and cracks. Kagome was assaulted by the smell of singed flesh and burnt hair. It took several minutes for the fire to die down, leaving a pile of charred remains in a blacked circle on the floor. She blinked back the tears that threatened; the smoke stung her eyes and burned in her lungs. She tried not to think about the person, the mess, a few feet away from her. _Sesshomaru would not look. He would not care. Be cold. Be aloof. It doesn't affect me._ Ryukostokken stepped towards her again, drawing a claw down the side of her face. It hurt. The slow drag of burning pain hurt more than any quick punch or cut she had ever received before. Kagome did not look away from the spot on the wall, but sweat trickled down her back.

"She does not defend herself?"

"My informant," Arashi paused, "my more intelligent informant, tells me she has no offensive skills. I believe it is common for human priestesses to have only one skill or the other, healing or fighting."

"You dare suggest that this one lacks knowledge?" Kagome felt the rising tide of angry youki and wanted to scream at Arashi to shut up before his lies got them both killed.

"Forgive me, Denka-ue." Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Arashi bow, touching his head to the floor. For some reason, despite the terror trying to claw its way out of her stomach, the action seemed wrong to her. Arashi wasn't the type to bow to another, or to apologize. _You don't know anything about him_, she chastised herself. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling. Then the Dragon Lord was in her face again, his tongue flickering out and hovering over the blood on her cheek, and she couldn't think of anything but not screaming. Not clawing his eyes out. Not blasting him with reiki and running as fast as she could into the cold. She needed to be strong. Sesshomaru was strong. This was his enemy; Ryukostokken was her enemy now too. Sesshomaru said she was part of his pack. She wanted that, wanted to be worthy of that. She would be strong.

"You will show this one how you heal youkai, Miko no Mao." He taunted her with the title, and she could do nothing about it. In that room, between the Dragon Lord and his youki that rivaled Sesshomaru's, and Arashi who she instinctively knew was far more than he appeared, she could do nothing but wait. She stared at the wall, pushing down the bile that threatened when his hot, sulfuric breath blew her bangs back and dried out her eyes, and remained silent. "You will show this one your worth, human, or you will become the whore Sesshomaru did not have the virility to make you." He lifted his hand to his mouth, and flicked out his tongue to taste her blood on his claw. "Sweet, white blossoms," he said, closing his eyes. "This will be most satisfying, either way." He left without another word. Kagome didn't dare relax her spine, for fear that she would collapse onto the floor and be unable to move. _I don't think I can do this alone._ The whispered thought nearly broke her, and then the image of Sesshomaru came to mind. The Killing Perfection. The Western Lord. Something deep inside her warmed, and flexed. She could almost feel him beside her, stroking her with his youki to settle her emotions.

"Remain silent," Arashi whispered. "Remain alive." Then he was gone and four guards, one with a limp and the other three horrifically scarred, entered. A tall, thin dragon youkai followed them and took a seat in front of her. He snapped to one guard, and the male stepped forward, holding out his arm. The dragon pushed up his sleeve, and drew a thin blade, coated with something shiny, across the skin. The flesh was laid open, and it did not immediately knit together.

"Heal it," the dragon ordered. Kagome took a deep breath and called her power slowly. Her fingers glowed a gentle pink, and the injured guard had to be pushed forward before he would give her his arm. It was the work of a half hour to eradicate the poison that prevented his healing and push the skin back together. When she opened her eyes, the guards were staring at her with a frightened shock. The dragon seated before her narrowed his eyes. "Again," he said and pulled out his knife. It would happen many more times before the sun rose.

ooo

Arashi settled into a perch on the inner wall, staring out across the cold sea. The snow had stopped, finally, and a few stars could be seen between the parting clouds. The fire in his chest warmed him, melted the frost on the stone around him. Despite his calm facade, Arashi was a dragon. Half-dragon, but his blood was strong enough that it made him superior to most full-youkai. Thankfully, although he had their physical strength, he did not share the foolish disposition of most of dragon-kind. _The Shikon Miko_. He had long heard the rumors, had collected them with interest. A strangely-dressed miko with the responsibility of the jewel of four souls. The girl travelled the lands with a band of allies to defeat Naraku. She was followed by a slayer and a monk. She adopted a kitsune orphan. Her greatest protector was an inuhanyou. He had often sought out information on the miko while he was unoccupied with other duties. He followed the progress in her quest with interest. All of the tales resounded with her ability to make allies, friends, with any creature, regardless of species.

It had occurred to him that the Shikon Miko and the Miko no Mao were one in the same, but he had not been certain. There were not many human priestesses that were found in the company of youkai - _willingly_ in the company of youkai. That the Shikon Miko travelled with Inuyasha, the half-brother of the Miko no Mao's Lord Sesshomaru should have made the connection obvious. The relationship between the two inu was what had obscured the truth. They hated each other, that was common knowledge. That Sesshomaru had ignored the plight of the orphaned Inuyasha out of bitterness over his father's death was speculated on so frequently as to become truth. Arashi had even heard a first-hand account of a battle between the two, in which the Shikon Miko was nearly killed trying to get between them. He had not had proof that the two women of so many tales were one in the same until she admitted to knowing and caring for both brothers. The Shikon Miko had not been heard of for several years because she was no longer merely the keeper of the orb. She was the Miko no Mao. However it had come to pass that she left the hanyou for the daiyoukai, it had happened. If she was to be believed, it had also been willingly. She claimed Inuyasha had not suffered for it, but Arashi found that difficult to believe. Sesshomaru was more lenient towards humans and hanyou in his lands, but to take his brother's woman without a battle did not seem plausible. He would have heard if there had been anything more significant than a skirmish - anything that resulted in injuries or death.

Arashi needed more information. She was the Shikon Priestess. The holy human who defeated the greatest evil Japan had seen and made companions of hanyou, human, and youkai. She brought enemies together as allies. It could change everything. It might change nothing. He stood, concentrating on his substantial youki and preparing to depart the Northern Palace. Ryukostokken had given him orders. He was to scout the Southern lands and find the best route through the East so that they could be taken next. The West was to be saved for last. Savored. Arashi would do what he had always done best: survive. It often required that his plans be mutable, changeable. He was not sure if that would be required, his strategy was long and patient, but he would consider all options. He needed more information. He only hoped that the miko could follow his advice and stay alive long enough for him to return. Perhaps she was only a pawn in the shogi game he had been playing so long. Perhaps she was something more.

That female might change the course of the world, alter fate itself, if given the time.

Arashi shook his head and drew in his heat. He needed to know more, and he knew just where to listen. He jumped off of the battlements, and flew into the night.

ooo

Sesshomaru was punishing himself. He knew it, but he could not stop. He sat at the desk in his private study, bare paper before him, and envisioned every possible torture that could be visited upon the miko while in enemy territory. Ryukostokken would break her down with words first, or at least he would try. He would not succeed, not with Sesshomaru's miko. She was strong, and had been through more dangerous and frightening situations than most seasoned youkai warriors. She would not break. Ryukostokken would lose his temper. Sesshomaru had not seen him since they were both little more than pups, but he well remembered the quick anger of the dragon. It would be a backhanded slap. Then wrenching her hair. Punches. Small cuts...that bled into larger wounds as she refused to give up. Eventually he would go too far and a healer would be summoned. The North had been known for its excellent healers and vast medical library. They would revive her, save her, heal her just enough to prevent death. When her reiki did not surface to injure her attacker or close her wounds, the dragon would grow bolder. More vile. A snarl of rage bubbled in Sesshomaru's chest. Ryukostokken would rape her. He would force his body on the miko and use his size, his strength to humiliate and hurt her. He would take her again and again until she broke and submitted. Until the miko was-

Sesshomaru plunged his claws into the table. Each deadly point pierced through the wood, clearing the way for his fingers and hand to follow until a pile of sawdust and splinters lay on the floor. The sound woke the pup. She had been sleeping, fitfully, for several hours, but if she was moved away from the daiyoukai she woke and screamed until he returned. He could not even leave her with mokomoko. His fur would satisfy her for a short time, but after less than a half hour she would begin whimpering, then crying, and then the shrieking would begin again. Sesshomaru did not have it in him to reprimand her as an inu should. How could he, when he wanted to do the same. The miko should be at the castle, with them. He should have gone after her, should still go after her and bring her home. He closed his eyes and pulled Emi close to his chest. He had made his decision. The only decision he could make. The miko would never put her own welfare above that of others, and it was his duty to protect many more than just her. He wanted to yell too.

Instead, he smoothed one hand, so recently thrust through his table, across the pups back and rumbled in the language of his kind, "_Quiet, little one. I am here. You are safe."_

The small female responded, as she had so many times, with a dual lament in two languages, "_Mother! _Kago-mama!"

They were the only words she had spoken, and Sesshomaru feared she would never learn any others if she did not resolve the pain in her heart. Even her tiny youki cried out for the loss of the one she had taken to so quickly. It was not hard for him to understand why. His own self, every fiber of his being, howled for the miko. Kagome. He sent out the tracking party to find Kagome's trail. They were the three best, after himself. Two inu and an eagle youkai that could use all of the most powerful senses at their disposal to follow the miko, regardless of where she had been taken. They would know her location and report back by morning. If they found signs that she had been injured… Sesshomaru refused allow himself to dwell on that thought.

Sesshomaru reviewed all of the information they had on the North. With Kento and Hisao, he had sent new orders to all of his own emissaries and spies: to gather whatever knowledge they could regarding movements of the dragons raiders, the North, and the conditions in the East. He dispatched a trusted soldier to the South to speak with Hirimoto. The pressing work was all that occupied his mind from the reality of the loss of the miko. If not for the near constant wails of the female pup, he might have managed to forget, at least for a moment, the gnawing pain in his chest, the furious mania that he longed to give in to. He wanted to ignore all of those things that would secure the West and go where she needed him to be. He was diayoukai. He was the Western Lord, Saidai Mao. His actions could not always be his own. Not when it put his people at risk.

So instead, he attended to all of his daily tasks. He had inspected soldiers and completed his own training exercises. He comforted the children as best he could. Shippo was alternately angry and heartbroken. The kit even attempted to leave the castle to track down the miko himself. When the kitsune was found and returned, he had challenged Sesshomaru's right as the miko's Alpha. Shippo had bared his tiny teeth and demanded, in the barks and shrill howls of the kitsune language, that Sesshomaru either save the miko or stand aside so another could do so. The kit was far too young for the challenge to an alpha to be taken seriously, but Sesshomaru's own torn desires tempered his reaction. He forced his submission with youki, but he also allowed both the kit and Rin to hold onto his arms for a few moments while they cried. The miko's son would not remain mired in sadness long, and Sesshomaru made certain any future attempts which might prove self-destructive would be The rock brothers had been set to guard the children, against attacks and their own misguided attempts to leave. Rin was full of sadness and resolute belief that her Lord would save the miko. He did not have the words, or the courage, to tell her how wrong she was.

He tore into his papers and punished himself and his two counselors with a savage pace, refusing to hear the opinions he knew they both wanted to express. He had already had all of their arguments with himself, and more.

The miko's power was formidable. Her knowledge of the future and reiki, as a healing tool and a weapon, were advantages to the West, or to any enemy that could break her. Her capture, and his decision not to go after her personally, would jeopardize other alliances, not only with Inuyasha and Kouga, but with other youkai that owed the miko a debt. She could be used against him. In the darkness of the night, the raw, bleeding wound in his chest flared again and burned with an agony of rage and sorrow that could not be denied. If the North had injured her, if they used her life, her health, as bait to lure him into a trap, he was not certain he could deny his instinct to sacrifice himself for her own well-being. It would be a detriment to his people, to save one woman. For all that she would bring to the West, for all that he wanted her, he could not leave his lands, his people, without leadership. All would be for nought if the enemy used his absence against him to mount a full-scale attack. He could see no other way.

He'd dismissed them both hours ago to sit in the darkness of his study with the pup on his lap.

Her cries for the miko subsided, but her whimpers remained. From within the coils of mokomoko, he withdrew a robe the woman had slept in the night before. Her scent clung stubbornly to the thin silk, and Sesshomaru breathed deeply even as he pressed it into the pup's hands. She grasped the cloth, burying her little nose in the material and curling against his chest to fall back into a restless sleep. New cherry wood. Magnolia blossoms fresh with dew. Satsuma oranges. A trace of cinnamon. He missed her. He wanted her. For the first time since his father had died, Sesshomaru hated his responsibilities. He did not want to be the Western Lord. Saidai Mao. He did not want to walk the path of conquest. Not without her. Those things were who he _was_. They defined him. He would give them up, gladly, everything that made him Sesshomaru, if he could have his miko returned. _Kagome..._

A familiar youki pulsed gently in the corridor, seeking permission to enter. He did not respond, hoping the fool would go away. Kento, ever the foolish one testing and steering his Lord's temperament, slid back the screen and bowed low. Sesshomaru did not look up in the gloomy shadows to see his assistant's face. He did not have to. The man reeked of apology. Boldness. Irritation. And...fear. Sesshomaru did not pause in the action of gently rubbing the pup's back, but he did sharpen his senses.

"My Lord, forgive the intrusion," Kento began, then paused. He turned and looked over his shoulder. As if there was an enemy there that he feared would catch up to him at any moment. "Sesshomaru-sama, a guest has arrived. It-" he licked his lips and closed the shoji screen behind him. A youki barrier, weaker than Sesshomaru's but still effective against eavesdroppers, faded into existence. "A guest awaits you in the private reception hall." Sesshomaru was not in the mood for intrigue. He was never in the mood for intrigue, but his internal battle had put him on edge. He was prepared to flay Kento with his whip if the inu did not get to the point and leave him in peace.

"Speak," he ordered.

"Your Honorable Mother is here."

ooo

Kagome slumped forward, exhausted. Her reiki still thrummed inside her, barely tapped and difficult to contain with so much youki flaring around her, but her body was ready to drop. Hunger had come and gone hours before. It would soon be time for breakfast, but the gnawing emptiness in her belly did not have any hope for food. Her throat was dry. She had been given a cup of water, between the fourth and fifth injuries she had healed, but she was not willing to drink it. Kagome was well aware that many things could be slipped into water that would kill her, or impair her. She wouldn't risk it. Her eyelids drooped after staying awake all night, and her ears had grown numb to the barks of the dragon who injured his own men and then ordered her to heal them. Over and over again. The wounds only became worse with each passing hour.

"It appears the miko has limits. We will test them further tomorrow, when our Lord may be present to observe. You," he snapped at the nearest soldier, Kagome recalled that she had sealed a scalp laceration for him, and regrown a finger. "Take her to the chamber of the Setting Sun. Two guards outside the room at all times. No one enters without express permission from myself or the Denka." Her hands were unbound, had been since the demonstration had begun, but she was in no condition to take advantage of it. Where the reception room had been dimly lit, the hallways she was prodded along were in absolute darkness. The youkai did not need lanterns to find their way, and it seemed they had no intention for providing such a courtesy to a prisoner. After a long, steep flight of stairs a door opened. Not a sliding screen, but a heavy, wooden door set with iron hinges and a real lock.

"In, miko,'' the guard muttered. He did not look at her face, or touch her. None of them did. Kagome smiled wryly. It was ironic that her acts of healing, even saving, the dragon soldiers, had resulted in a fear of her that bordered on terror. She stepped carefully into the freezing room, trying to feel her way with her sandals and prevent her usual clumsiness. The door shut behind her with a thud that reverberated in her bones and made her sink to the floor. This was it. This was her prison. Her eyes pricked with tears and she felt her way to the nearest wall. _At least no one has tortured me, yet_. Hysterical laughter threatened to erupt, and she turned her head away from the door to prevent the sound from alerting the guards. Light, faint and far-off, winked at her. Kagome closed her eyes and opened them again. There it was. And another. She crawled forward, almost crashing her face into another wall. Her hands slid up glassy stone. The occasional sharp edge caught at the pads of her fingers and sliced at her skin. It was a window. A short, narrow window, perhaps eighteen inches by thirty inches, was cut into the rock. No glass or covering barred the opening, explaining the bitter cold seeping into the room. She could see storm clouds, parting and drifting to reveal the occasional star. The faint light danced on something far down. Kagome squinted, waiting for another moment of illumination. Another cloud moved, and she realized what lay below. It was the sea.

The window was large enough that she would have no trouble squeezing through. No trouble at all. She would only have to deal with a sheer drop, of at least three hundred feet, into the wintery depths of the Tsugaru Straits. If she managed not to be killed on a rock outcropping or from the impact with the water, that is. She would most likely freeze to death in the water. Assuming she didn't drown first.

Kagome sank back to the floor and let out a harsh chuckle. She had told herself she would be strong. Strong enough to prove to Sesshomaru, to everyone, that she was worthy of the Lord of the West. Why was it that every time she made a vow, fate conspired to make it so hard for her to fulfill? She'd promised to repair the jewel, and had to defeat Naraku to complete that quest. She was determined to live up to the expectations she had of herself, of a woman that would seek out and win Sesshomaru's heart, share in his life. And she was given obstacles that seemed insurmountable.

Kagome tilted her head back against the wall and absently rubbed her blood-slicked hands against her pants. Her face was achy and itchy where the cut on her head had dried. Every wince or frown cracked the scabs and allowed new blood to sluggishly seep through. She couldn't give up. She wouldn't give up. She had just made a decision to make something new of herself, to become the type of person she had always secretly wanted to be. She was tired of being the damsel in distress. She wanted to be strong, to be seen as more than just the keeper of the jewel. If Sesshomaru never loved her, it would hurt. She didn't even really love him yet, but it would still hurt if he rejected her. But she would live. She would still be someone she was proud of. Someone better than she had been before. Kagome would not let any obstacles keep her from achieving her goals.

"Right," she nodded to herself and glanced up at the sky again, "I can do this." _I will do this_, she promised herself.


End file.
